ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Bees: Pesticides

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with representatives of the beekeeping industry on new pesticides that are affecting varno mites.

James Paice: I assume the hon. Member is referring to veterinary medicines that are used in the treatment of varroa in bees. There are currently five veterinary medicinal products authorised for the control of varroa in the UK, two of which have been authorised in the last two years.
	The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is in regular contact with beekeepers about how to tackle medicines issues for bees and has produced an Action Plan on the Availability of Medicines for Bees which is published on its website. This action plan has been developed and is being implemented in close consultation with interest groups.

Circuses: Animal Welfare

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the future use of wild animals in circuses.

James Paice: We are currently considering the 13,000 or so responses to our consultation on the use of wild animals in circuses before we publish a summary. In the meantime, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my noble Friend (Lord Henley), has been meeting with representatives of welfare groups and the circus industry.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Crops

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on approval for the planting of genetically modified crops.

James Paice: The Government believe that regulatory decisions on GM crops should be based on a robust, case-by-case assessment of the potential impact on human health and the environment, taking full account of the scientific evidence.

New Forest

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 February 2011,  Official Report, column 708W, on New Forest, whether access to such Forestry Commission land by the New Forest Hunt meets the criterion of a public benefit provided by the public forest estate.

James Paice: holding answer 28 February 2011
	The New Forest hunts carry out drag hunting under the terms of the permissions granted by the Forestry Commission. They are part of the traditions and heritage of the New Forest and could be considered as being a public benefit in this context.

Trees: Sudden Oak Death

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2011,  Official Report, House of Lords, column 350, on trees: sudden oak death, whether contingency funding for sudden oak death is held centrally by her Department.

James Paice: No contingency funds are held for this or any other plant disease.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when her Department expects to have cleared all outstanding legacy asylum claims.

Damian Green: holding answer 28 February 2011
	The UK Border agency is on track to conclude the backlog of legacy cases by summer 2011. The agency provides regular updates on performance, including a breakdown into grants, removals and 'other' cases such as duplicates or errors, to the Home Affairs Select Committee and is due to report in the spring.
	On 1 November the agency reported to the Home Affairs Select Committee that it had concluded 334,500 cases at the end of September 2010.

Asylum: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people were granted asylum in Coventry in  (a) 2009 and  (b) 2010;
	(2)  how many people in the West Midlands were removed from the UK in  (a) 2009 and  (b) 2010.

Damian Green: In 2009, 109 individuals with a last known address in Coventry were granted asylum. In 2010, this number was 68.
	In 2009, 1,894 individuals with a last known address in the West Midlands were removed from the United Kingdom. In 2010, this number was 1,833.
	All figures quoted above are internal management information only and are subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.

Asylum: Detainees

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 14 February 2011,  Official Report, columns 511-12W, on asylum: detainees, for what technical reasons information collection on the reasons for asylum claimants leaving detention was discontinued in September 2006.

Damian Green: holding answer 28 February 2011
	 Prior to September 2006, published detention statistics were obtained from the Detainee Location and Management Information System (DELMIS); this was the main source of data on detention. DELMIS was switched off in October 2006 and information was instead recorded on the Case Information Database (CID).
	Following this change from a statistical to an administrative system from which information was collected, figures on all persons recorded as leaving detention solely under Immigration Act powers by reason (other than those removed from the UK) had not been published until the statistical data on the classification of reasons for persons leaving detention, other than for removal, was considered of publishable quality. The Head of Profession for Statistics for the Home Office is now satisfied the quality meets publication standards and publication of this information recommenced in November 2010, relating to the third quarter of 2010.

Asylum: Detainees

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 14 February 2011,  Official Report, columns 511-2W, on asylum: detainees, how many detainees were held under Immigration Act powers at each such centre in the third quarter of 2010.

Damian Green: holding answer 28 February 2011
	The following table, a subset of the latest published figures (Persons in detention as at 30 September 2010), shows the number of people in detention held solely under Immigration Act powers, who had claimed asylum at some stage, by place of detention as at 30 September 2010.
	
		
			  Persons in detention in the United Kingdom solely under Immigration Act powers, by place of detention as at 30 September 2010( 1,2) 
			  Number of persons 
			  Place of detention  Total detainees  Of whom: asylum detainees( 3) 
			  UK Border Agency Removal Centres   
			 Harmondsworth 610 475 
			 Brook House 415 195 
			 Dover Immigration Removal Centre 315 180 
			 Yarl's Wood 310 200 
			 Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre 285 180 
			 Campsfield House 215 120 
			 Dungavel 200 105 
			 Haslar 120 65 
			 Lindholme 115 75 
			 Tinsley House 115 65 
			 Oakington Reception Centre 100 75 
			
			  UK Border Agency Short Term Holding Facilities   
			 Colnbrook Short Term 60 40 
			 Pennine House 30 15 
			 Harwich 5 - 
			 Total 2,890 1,795 
			 (1) Figures rounded to the nearest 5 (- = 0. * = 1 or 2), may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding and exclude persons detained in police cells, Prison Service establishments and those detained under both criminal and immigration powers and their dependants. (2) Figures include dependants. (3) Persons detained under Immigration Act powers who are recorded as having sought asylum at some stage. 
		
	
	The Home Office publishes statistics on the number of people in detention, solely under Immigration Act powers on a quarterly and annual basis, which are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	Q4 2010 figures, including persons detained as at 31 December 2010, will be available on 24 February 2011.

Asylum: Detainees

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 14 February 2011,  Official Report, columns 511-2W, on asylum: detainees, how many of the 1,275 individuals granted temporary admission or release had conditions, such as reporting or tagging, applied.

Damian Green: holding answer 28 February 2011
	The requested information is not centrally available and could be obtained only by examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
	The Home Office publishes National Statistics on the number of persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers on a quarterly and annual basis and management information on the number of children entering detention, held solely under Immigration Act powers, by month, which are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many detainees at Campsfield House Immigration Centre have been held for more than one year; and for what reasons;
	(2)  how many detainees at Campsfield House Immigration Detention Centre have been detained for more than  (a) three months,  (b) six months,  (c) nine months,  (d) one year and  (e) two years;
	(3)  for how long each detainee at Campsfield House Immigration Detention Centre who has been detained for more than one year has been held.

Damian Green: A subset of published information in the table below shows the number of people in Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre, detained solely under Immigration Act powers as at 30 September 2010, broken down by length of detention.
	
		
			  Persons in detention at Campsfield House, solely under Immigration Act powers, by length of detention as at 30 September 2010( 1, 2, 5) 
			  Length of detention( 3, 4)  Total detainees 
			 7 days or less 50 
			 8 to 14 days 35 
			 15 to 28 days 25 
			 29 days to less than 2 months 40 
			 2 months to less than 3 months 20 
			 3 months to less than 6 months 25 
			 6 months to less than 9 months 5 
			 9 months to less than 12 months 5 
			 12 months to less than 24 months 10 
			 24 months to less than 36 months 5 
			 Total 215 
			 (1) Figures rounded to the nearest five, may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding and exclude persons detained in police cells, Prison Service establishments and those detained under both criminal and immigration powers and their dependants. (2) Figures include dependants. (3) Relates to most recent period of sole detention. The period of detention starts when a person first enters the UK Border Agency estate. If the person is then moved from a removal centre to a police cell or Prison Service establishment, this period of stay will be included if the detention is solely under Immigration Act powers. (4) Two months is defined as 61 days; three months is defined as 92 days; six months is defined as 182 days; nine months is defined as 274 days. (5) Management information. 
		
	
	It is not possible to provide the reason why a person has been detained in Campsfield House from the data extract used to produce published figures.
	Management information provided by UK Border Agency suggests that a significant number of those detained for over a year are former foreign national prisoners who we are seeking to deport from the UK.
	Detention plays a key role in maintaining an effective immigration control. It is used only where necessary and is kept to the shortest time possible. Each case is considered on its individual merits, and there remains a general presumption in favour of release. Many factors will be taken into account, including the risk of absconding and the risk of further harm to the public.
	Deportation of these individuals can be delayed in a number of ways. Judicial challenges can be used to delay or frustrate removal. This is being tackled through improved legal case working within the UK Border Agency and closer co-operation with the judiciary. Difficulties in obtaining travel documents are taken up directly with the relevant embassy or high commission. There may also be delays in the deportation process if individuals do not comply with the UK Border Agency's efforts to re-document them.
	The Home Office publishes statistics on the number of persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers on a quarterly and annual basis, which are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	Q4 2010 figures including information on persons detained as at 31 December will be available on 24 February 2011.

Departmental Conditions of Employment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of her Department's adherence to each of the principles of good employment practice set out in the Cabinet Office publication Principles of Good Employment Practice.

Damian Green: The Home Department is in a strong position to encourage good employment practice across its supply base and has produced a supplier charter jointly with HM Revenue and Customs.
	In addition to this, the Home Department fully support the Government's initiative on creating opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and third sector organisations. It builds from the Department's current ability to identify its small business suppliers, which comprises 43% of the suppliers used and represents 12% of its supplier spend as at January 2011.
	This is complemented by the Department's good record of prompt payment within five days.
	The Department is actively contributing to the cross-Government agenda which is being led by the Efficiency Reform Group.

Departmental Interpreters

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for which services provided by  (a) her Department and  (b) its associated public bodies interpreters provide services in a language or languages other than English; how many interpreters are employed or subcontracted for each non-English language; and what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of interpretation costs incurred in the latest period for which figures are available.

Damian Green: The response to this parliamentary question has been split into two parts (a) information relating to the Home Department which is made up of four constituent parts-Home Office Headquarters, the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA), the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), and the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and  (b) its non-departmental public bodies which is made up of five constituent parts-Security Industry Authority (SIA), Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), and the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), as shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Home Department 
			   Period  Number of employed interpreters( 1)  Number of subcontracted interpreters( 2)  Total cost of service (£) 
			 Home Office HQ and UKBA 1 April 2010-31 January 2011 0 2,072 4,748,052 
			 CRB Annually 1 0 2139.50 
			 IPS 2009-10 Not recorded Not recorded 1,105,715 
		
	
	
		
			  Non-departmental public bodies 
			   Period  Number of employed interpreters( 1)  Number of subcontracted interpreters( 2)  Total cost of service (£) 
			 NPIA Nil return Nil return Nil return Nil return 
			 ISA May 2010 0 1 387.90 
			 SIA Nil return Nil return Nil return Nil return 
			 SOCA 2010-11 0 84 67,923 
			 IPCC January 2010-December 2010 0 2 3,508.04 
			 (1) Employed interpreters relate to staff. (2) Subcontracted interpreters relate to those employed through a contract.

Departmental Manpower

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many  (a) actual and  (b) full-time equivalent staff have left her Department's employ since May 2010;
	(2)  how many  (a) actual and  (b) full-time equivalent staff her Department employed at the latest date for which figures are available;
	(3)  how many  (a) actual and  (b) full-time equivalent staff were employed by her Department in May 2010.

Damian Green: The following tables give details which have been provided using Office for National Statistics guidelines for work force management reporting. The figures given include staff moving internally into the Home Department from other Home Office agencies as well as returning from unpaid absences such as career breaks or maternity leave. This accounts for the apparent discrepancy between the headcount and recorded leavers shown in the response.
	
		
			  Staff who have left the Department since May 2010 
			   (a) Headcount  (b) Headcount FTE 
			 Home Office 1,474 1,291 
			  Note: Data shown is for all staff who left during the period 1 June 2010 to 31 January 2011.  Source: Data View, the Home Office's single source of monthly Human Resources data. 
		
	
	
		
			  Staff who are employed at the latest date for which figures are available 
			   (a) Headcount  (b) Headcount FTE 
			 Home Office 29,721 27,840 
			  Note: Data shown is for all paid civil servants as per Office for National Statistics definitions.  Source: Data View, the Home Office's single source of monthly Human Resources data. 
		
	
	
		
			  Staff who were employed in May 2010 
			   (a) Headcount  (b) Headcount FTE 
			 Home Office 31,459 29,440 
			  Note: Data shown is for all paid civil servants as per Office for National Statistics definitions.  Source: Data View, the Home Office's single source of monthly Human Resources data.

Detention Centres

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has asked the UK Border Agency to carry out an audit of Immigration Detention Centre Rule 35 reports.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency conducted an in depth analysis of 216 reports submitted in relation to Detention Centre Rule 35 in 2010. The analysis followed discussions with a number of non-government organisations who have an interest in the UK Border Agency's detention estate and was not conducted at the request of Ministers.
	The UK Border Agency expects to release the findings of the analysis in the very near future.

Domestic Violence: Immigrants

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government is taking to protect women with an insecure immigration status from domestic violence.

Damian Green: holding answer 28 February 2011
	In recognition of the plight of victims of domestic violence, the domestic violence concession, previously outside the immigration rules, was brought under the rules in 2002.
	Rule 289A was introduced to enable an applicant who has limited leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom as the spouse, unmarried partner, registered civil partner or same sex partner of a British citizen or person present and settled in the UK and whose marriage or relationship breaks down during the two-year probationary period as a result of domestic violence, to be granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK. This offers the victim the security of achieving settled status and access to benefits without the need to complete the two-year probationary period.

Entry Clearances: Olympic Games 2012

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision her Department has made to handle applications for visas from non-EU countries to attend the London 2012 Olympics; and what consideration she has given to allowing extended visas for  (a) families of athletes and  (b) spectators.

Damian Green: The UK is obliged to comply with Olympic requirements set out in the Olympic Charter and Host City contract. Under the guarantees, an accreditation card issued to games family members will act in lieu of a visa and work permit for up to six months.
	The UK Border Agency has introduced an Olympic/Paralympic games visit visa to facilitate entry to the UK in advance of the games for participants. The visa (valid for multiple entries until 8 November 2012) is now available for the price of a six month single entry visit visa. This visa will facilitate easy and cheaper entry to the UK for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) members, competitors and officials coming for the test events and training before the accreditation period. At games time, participants will be issued with an accreditation card which will act as a visa waiver.
	This visa is only available to those individuals identified as participating in the games in a professional capacity. Spectators and families of athletes coming to visit the UK during the games will be subject to the usual requirements of a visit and will be required to apply for a standard visitor's visa. For foreign nationals not requiring a visa it will be possible to visit the UK for up to six months without a visa.
	The UK Border Agency has been working with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic games(LOCOG) and the IOC to communicate key messages about visa requirements to the Olympic/Paralympic Family.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what bogus colleges have been closed in each year since 2007.

Damian Green: Prior to April 2009, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and previously the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) was responsible for the register of education establishments able to bring in students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA). At the point it was replaced by the Points Based System register of licensed Tier 4 sponsors, the register listed a total of 14,838 establishments, of which approximately 4,000 regularly took non-EEA students. As of 1(st) February 2011 the Tier 4 register lists 2,313 licensed Tier 4 sponsors.
	Since 31 March 2009 the following total numbers of educational establishments' licenses have been revoked:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2009 16 
			 2010 44 
			 2011 3 
		
	
	Revocation of an educational establishment's sponsor licence does not prevent it from operating. The UK Border Agency is unable to close education or training providers, but it can remove their ability to recruit students from outside the European Economic Area.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received from foreign governments on the Government's proposals for student visas.

Damian Green: A consultation on the student immigration system closed on 31 January. Four submissions from overseas governments were received. In addition, the UK Border Agency officials have held meetings with a number of representatives from missions in the UK. Responses to the student consultation are being considered. The results of the consultation and an impact assessment, including details of those who have responded, will be published in due course.

Human Trafficking

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have been arrested on suspicion of human trafficking offences in each local authority area in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: This information is not collected at local authority level.

Illegal Immigrants

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many overstayers were identified  (a) on embarkation from the UK and  (b) through enforcement action in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: It is not possible to provide the number of overstayers identified on embarkation from the UK, as this information is not recorded centrally. To establish these figures would require the manual examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost. By 2015 exit checks will have been reintroduced which are vital in checking that people have left the country when they are supposed to.
	The following table shows the number of individuals, recorded as overstayers, arrested during enforcement operations for each financial year from 2007-08 (the earliest year for which such data are available) to date.
	Please note, all data are sourced from management information tools and are not quality assured under National Statistics protocols. Figures provided do not constitute part of National Statistics and should be treated as provisional.
	National Statistics on removals and voluntary departures from the UK are published on a quarterly and annual basis, which are available from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	However, it is not possible to separately identify overstayers from the published figures.
	
		
			   Overstayers arrested 
			 2007-08 3,293 
			 2008-09 3,207 
			 2009-10 2,387 
			 2010-11 (to end of January) 2,399

Immigrants: Detainees

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the UK Border Agency to release its audit of forms completed in accordance with Rule 35 of the Detention Centre Rules, on victims of torture and others with special illnesses and conditions.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency audit in relation to Detention Centre Rule 35 has been concluded. The UK Border Agency expects to release the report in the near future.

Immigrants: Detainees

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the UK Border Agency plans to publish in full an unedited audit of forms completed in accordance with Rule 35 of the Detention Centre Rules on victims of torture and others with special illnesses and conditions.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency audit report in relation to Detention Centre Rule 35 will be published in a full and unedited format in the near future.

Immigrants: Human Rights

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she was consulted on the Positions on the rights of migrants in an irregular situation Position Paper (CommDH/PositionPaper(2010)5 from the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights acts in an independent capacity. Accordingly the Home Secretary was not consulted on his findings and recommendations. They will be taken into account to the extent that they are consistent with the Government's immigration policy and are in the national interest.

Immigrants: Human Rights

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department was represented at the 1103rd meeting of the Ministers' Deputies of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers held on 19 January 2011; what her response is to the recommendations adopted on interaction between migrants and receiving societies (CM/Rec(2011)1) and on validating migrants' skills (CM/Rec(2011)2); what assessment she has made of the potential effect these recommendations would have on the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The UK was represented in the meeting of the Ministers' Deputies of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers on 19 January by the UK Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe. The recommendations adopted at this meeting are not binding on the member states. The Government will consider the implications of these recommendations in developing the Government's overall approach to integration and immigration policy and will take into account any recommendations that it considers to be in the UK's national interest.

Immigration Controls

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been admitted to the UK at  (a) sub-tier Tier 1 (Investor) and  (b) sub-tier Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) of the points-based immigration system in each year since the system's inception.

Damian Green: The available statistics on the number of persons given leave to enter the United Kingdom on  (a) sub-tier Tier 1 (Investor) and  (b) sub-tier Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) of the points-based immigration system, 2008-09 are given in the table.
	
		
			  Passengers( 1)  given leave to enter the United Kingdom under PBS( 2)  Tier 1-Investor( 3)  or Entreprenuer( 3)  categories, excluding EEA and Swiss nationals, 2008-09 
			   Number of journeys 
			  Categories  2008  2009( 4) 
			 Tier 1-Entrepreneur 25 125 
			 Tier 1-Investors 20 110 
			 Total 45 235 
			 (1) Figures rounded to three significant figures. (2) Points Based System (PBS). (3) The Tier 1 Investor and Entrepreneur categories were introduced on 30 June 2008. Data for that year are therefore not comparable with 2009 as they are for a partial year. (4) Provisional figures. 
		
	
	It is planned to publish statistics on passengers given leave to enter the United Kingdom by purpose of journey for the first two quarters of 2010 on 24 February 2011 in the Home Office publication, "Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical summary United Kingdom October-December 2010".
	Subsequently, quarterly arrival data will be released every six months, with quarters 1 and 2 published in February of each year and 3 and 4 published in August. These data will be available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Yarl's Wood Detention Centre

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 14 February 2011,  Official Report, column 527W, on Yarl's Wood Detention Centre, whether the police were involved in either investigation.

Damian Green: holding answer 28 February 2011
	I can confirm that the police were notified of both cases I referred to in my answer of 14 February 2011,  Official Report, column 527W.
	In both instances, the police advised the UK Border Agency and Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre when their inquiries had been concluded and that they would be taking no further action.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts: West Midlands

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much the Arts Council spent per head of population in the  (a) South Staffordshire district council and  (b) Birmingham city council area in the latest period for which figures are available.

Edward Vaizey: This information is not held in the manner requested.
	However, Arts Council England (ACE) has advised that council and constituency boundaries are similar. As such, ACE has provided the following figures that relate to constituencies only:
	 (a) South Staffordshire: £1.18 spend per head (incorporating: South Staffordshire and Stafford)
	 (b) Birmingham: £24.68 spend per head (incorporating: Edgbaston, Erdington, Hall Green, Hodge Hill, Ladywood, Northfield, Perry Barr, Selly Oak, Yardley, Sparkbrook and Small Heath).

Departmental Policy

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what account he has taken of the Compact between the Government and Civil Society in policy development.

Jeremy Hunt: My Department takes the Compact into account in developing relevant policies.

Gambling

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what evidence he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the (i) effectiveness of the problem gambling helpline and (ii) relative merits of the freephone helpline in improving access to treatment and advice for those seeking assistance.

John Penrose: The Gambling Commission, the Responsible Gaming Strategy Board and the Responsible Gambling Fund (RGF) have all looked into this issue and have concluded that an easily recognised name and national free-phone number would remove barriers to take-up; particularly among the vast majority of the population that uses mobile phones. The RGF is currently tendering for the operation of such a service.

National Lottery: Retail Trade

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will instruct the National Lottery Commission to review the appropriateness of decisions by Camelot National Lotteries relating to the supply of lottery terminals to  (a) Tesco,  (b) The Co-operative and  (c) independent retailers.

John Penrose: holding answer 28 February 2011
	 Camelot takes into account clear criteria when selecting retailers, such as footfall, store size and sales projection. The same selection criteria apply across all retailers and each case is judged on its own merits. As long as Camelot follows these criteria, the decision as to where to place national lottery terminals is a commercial decision and the National Lottery Commission is not involved in this process.

Olympic Games 2012: Northern Ireland

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to ensure that Northern Ireland benefits from the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: The Government and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) established the Nations and Regions Group to ensure UK-wide engagement and to maximise the legacy from London 2012. This group works directly with representatives from each of the nations and English regions to realise the sporting, economic, and cultural benefits of the 2012 Games.
	Northern Ireland stands to gain from the wide range of opportunities created by the 2012 Games through businesses winning Games-related work, increased tourism and cultural celebrations. Some examples of how Northern Ireland will benefit from the Games are as follows.
	The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has awarded contracts to five direct suppliers in Northern Ireland. For example, Lagan Construction was awarded the contract to construct 'central park bridge' in the Olympic Park that links the Basketball Arena, the Aquatics Centre and the Olympic Stadium.
	Information on businesses in Northern Ireland that have directly supplied the ODA is available in the business section of the London 2012 website at the following link:
	http://www.london2012.com/get-involved/business-network/oda-suppliers/index.php
	This information does not include contracts further down the supply chain, in tiers two, three and so on, which are awarded by the tier one contractors and not by the ODA. Examples of companies based in Northern Ireland further down the supply chains include McGrath Brothers from Belfast supplied architectural metalwork for the Olympic Village and Macrete Concrete from County Antrim have worked on support structures for bridges and highways.
	So far 1,561 companies in Northern Ireland have registered on Competefor (the website where London 2012 contract opportunities are advertised), and four contracts have been awarded to Competefor suppliers in Northern Ireland.
	Over 16,000 schools and colleges across the UK have registered for LOCOG's London 2012 education programme Get Set, 220 schools and colleges are registered in Northern Ireland. 10 schools in Northern Ireland have also developed links with nine schools and one youth centre in Jordan as part of the London 2012 International Inspiration Programme.
	Over 1,000 cultural or sporting projects across the UK have been awarded the Inspire mark, 31 of these are in Northern Ireland. One example, Active8-a SportNI-led participation programme with the Olympic Values at its core-is engaging pupils aged seven to 11 in sport and physical activity. Activ8 Eatwell is a recent programme which promotes active and healthy lifestyles for children by teaching them about physical activity and healthy eating.
	In addition, Northern Ireland has received £1.31 million from the Legacy Trust for a programme which will tackle aspects of personal development, communication and physical 'literacy' with elements of dance, gymnastics, music and poetry, theatre and visual arts.

Olympic Games 2012: Hertfordshire

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he plan to take to encourage children and young people in St Albans to participate in events that are part of the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: It is important that children and young people from across the UK are actively encouraged to participate in the wide range of opportunities created by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
	Over 16,000 schools and colleges across the UK have registered for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games' (LOCOG) education programme Get Set, with 487 schools and colleges registered in Hertfordshire. LOCOG launched the official London 2012 mascots last year, which are now inspiring children and young people. LOCOG hosted a 'Get Set to make your mascot' school competition. The winning primary and secondary schools win a visit from Wenlock or Mandeville in the summer term-ideally to their school sports day.
	Over 1,000 cultural or sporting projects across the UK have been awarded the Inspire mark, with 84 of these in the East of England. One example, which schools in Hertfordshire including St Albans are participating in, is Supporter to Reporter (S2R). S2R gives young people sports reporting opportunities at national and local events. Participants receive training to produce audio, video, text and image reports with content then published on the youth-led website.
	Young Ambassadors is a London 2012 programme managed by Youth Sport Trust which has been running in England, Scotland and Wales. It was the first initiative to receive the London 2012 Inspire mark for education. It involves young people being recruited to be ambassadors, working in their schools and communities to champion sport and the values of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
	The School Games will give every school the opportunity to get involved. Sport England has commissioned the Youth Sport Trust to test how to deliver School Games in nine pilot areas. In June or July 2011, these sites will host the first 'School Games' Days in 500 schools and the first nine 'Festivals of Sport'. All schools will be given the opportunity to participate from September 2011 with the first national finals taking place in the Olympic Stadium in May 2012.
	In addition, I announced the 'Places People Play' programme in November, which will bring sporting legacy to life in communities across the country. This will be achieved by transforming the places where people play sport, inspiring people to make sport happen at a local level and creating sporting opportunities that give everyone the chance to become part of the mass participation legacy. Further detail can be found at the following link:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/news_stories/7565.aspx

Olympic Games 2012: Hertfordshire

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many contracts related to the London 2012 Olympics have been awarded to businesses and organisations in  (a) St Albans constituency and  (b) Hertfordshire; and what the monetary value of such contracts is.

Hugh Robertson: Information on businesses in the East of England that have directly supplied the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is available in the business section of the London 2012 website at the following link:
	http://www.london2012.com/get-involved/business-network/oda-suppliers/index.php
	The estimated value of contracts awarded to businesses in Hertfordshire is £1,147,811,580, of this the value of contracts awarded to businesses in St Albans is £3,179,151. These figures only account for the contracts awarded by the ODA to its own top tier of contractors (tier one contractors). The figures do not include the value of contracts further down the supply chain, in tiers two, three and so on, which are awarded by the tier one contractors and not by the ODA. The ODA estimates that the total value of supply chain contracts to the regions runs into millions of pounds, but these are not public procurements and so the full value of contracts won across the UK is not captured by the figures provided. The ODA estimates that overall up to 50,000 contracts will be generated throughout its supply chains.

Olympic Games 2012: Hertfordshire

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many residents of  (a) St Albans and  (b) Hertfordshire are employed (i) by the London Organisational Committee of the Olympic Games, (ii) by the Olympic Delivery Authority and (iii) at the London 2012 Olympics site; what steps his Department is taking to increase employment opportunities created by the hosting of the London 2012 Olympics; and how many jobs in Hertfordshire he expects to be created by the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Limited (LOCOG) is a private company and so does not report its staff figures to the Department. Its annual report, which includes information about the numbers of staff it employs, is available at:
	www.london2012.com
	As at 31 December 2010 the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) had 288 directly employed members of staff, of which one resided in St Albans and five in Hertfordshire.
	The ODA publishes information on the Olympic Park contractor work force in its quarterly 'Jobs, Futures, Skills' newsletter. The most recent edition can be found at the following link:
	http://www.london2012.com/documents/oda-publications/jobs-skills-futures/jsf-bulletin-january11.pdf
	The ODA forecasts that 30,000 people will work on the Olympic Park and Village over the life of the construction programme. LOCOG estimates that during Games-time it will require a work force of approximately 6,000 paid staff, up to 70,000 volunteers and 100,000 staff working for the contractor work force. No specific assessment has been made of the numbers that have been or will be employed from Hertfordshire.
	The ODA and its partners have put a range of measures in place to help local people in particular access training and employment opportunities on the site. These include investing in training and apprenticeship opportunities. LOCOG published its employment and skills strategy in August 2010 and is available at:
	http://www.london2012.com/

Olympic Games 2012: Tickets

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many tickets to Olympic events have been allocated for sale; and what estimate has been made of the revenue which will accrue from sales of tickets to  (a) members of the public in the UK and the EU,  (b) sports federations,  (c) national Olympic committees,  (d) members of the public in other countries,  (e) corporate sponsors,  (f) rights-holding broadcasters and  (g) hospitality package buyers.

Hugh Robertson: The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) is the private company responsible for staging the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, including the ticketing arrangements. LOCOG needs to raise around £500 million from ticket revenues towards its primarily privately financed £2 billion budget to stage the Games.
	There are no free tickets. 8.8 million tickets will be available for purchase for the Olympic Games from 15 March 2011, with a further 2 million tickets available from September for the Paralympic Games. Around three-quarters will be available to the UK public for purchase. The application process must also be open to EU residents, but the vast majority of the 2.3 million people signed-up with LOCOG for ticketing information in advance of the 15 March are UK residents. Of the remaining 25% of tickets, approximately 12% will be available for purchase to 205 National Olympic Committees around the world for international sports fans; 8% will be available for purchase to sponsors and stakeholders; and 5% will be available for purchase to International Sports Federations, the International Olympic Committee, broadcast rights holders, for prestige hospitality packages and for domestic holiday packages via Thomas Cook.

Olympic Games 2012: Wales

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the proportion of work carried out in preparation for the London 2012 Olympics that has been undertaken by companies based in Wales.

Hugh Robertson: Welsh companies have made a significant contribution to the delivery of the venues and infrastructure for the London 2012 games, either by supplying the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) directly or through the supply chains of the major tier one contractors. These include Rowecord in Newport, who have provided the steel for the Aquatics Centre, Cardiff based Euroclad have won contracts on both the Olympic Stadium and the Media Centre, and Fairfield Mabey from Newport who have supplied structural steel for infrastructure on the Olympic Park.
	It is not possible to provide a definitive figure for the work undertaken by Welsh companies on the 2012 construction programme. However, the ODA estimates that approximately £37 million pounds worth of contracts have been awarded to Welsh companies operating at tiers two and three of the ODA's major contractors.

Sports: Finance

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 16 February 2011,  Official Report, column 800W, on sport: finance, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of monitoring regional variations in funding for  (a) the Big Lottery and  (b) Sport England.

Hugh Robertson: There is no need for any monitoring by, or cost to, the Department. The Big Lottery Fund (BLF) asks applicants to identify where its funding will be used. This information is collected and analysed at minimum cost. BLF regularly monitor these data to ensure that communities receive a fair share of lottery money. It is freely accessible throughout the organisation and therefore the BLF does not monitor its cost. Sport England does not hold a regional breakdown of funding, and while I have not made an estimate, it would exceed the disproportionate cost limit considerably to commission the work, and that is without considering the cost of monitoring.

Third Sector

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the extent of regional variation in funding per head in the distribution of Big Lottery funding in the last year for which figures are available.

John Penrose: I have not made such an assessment and my Department does not hold lottery grant information in this format. However, details of lottery grants made by the Big Lottery Fund and other lottery distributors can be found at the following link:
	http://www.lottery.culture.gov.uk

Third Sector

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department has taken to support the Big Society initiative.

Jeremy Hunt: My Department's Business Plan includes details of the work it is undertaking to support the big society which can be found at the following link:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/DCMS-Business-Plan_2010-15.pdf

Tourism

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his policy is on support for the development of tourism in the South West.

John Penrose: The Government are creating a new international marketing fund for tourism. We are looking to create a fund of more than £100 million, with major companies already pledging support to help match the £50 million of public money the Government have committed through VisitBritain over the next four years.
	We are also investing nearly £33 million in VisitEngland over four years which will focus on promoting the domestic tourism industry and supporting destination management organisations, local authorities and emerging local enterprise partnerships. Tourism in the South West will benefit from both funding initiatives.
	In addition, the £1.4 billion Regional Growth Fund (RGF) presents an important opportunity for tourism. Ministers have encouraged the tourism sector to apply.

Tourism: Kent

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will take steps to provide assistance to tourism businesses in Maidstone and the Weald constituency.

John Penrose: The Government are creating a new international marketing fund for tourism. We are looking to create a fund of more than £100 million, with major companies already pledging support to help match the £50 million of public money the Government have committed through VisitBritain over the next four years.
	We are also investing nearly £33 million in VisitEngland over four years which will focus on promoting the domestic tourism industry and supporting destination management organisations, local authorities and emerging local enterprise partnerships. Tourism in Maidstone and the Weald will benefit from both funding initiatives.
	In addition, the £1.4 billion Regional Growth Fund (RGF) presents an important opportunity for tourism. Ministers have encouraged the tourism sector to apply.

TRANSPORT

A14: Ipswich

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost was of road  (a) maintenance and  (b) improvements on the A14 between junctions 53 and 55 in 2009-10.

Michael Penning: Maintenance costs of £6.122 million were incurred on the A14 between junctions 53 and 55 in 2009-10. In addition, technology works over this section, as part of a complete A14 improvement project, were valued at £1.038 million.
	The maintenance costs are made up as follows:
	Two road maintenance schemes between the Claydon Interchange (junction 52) and the Copdock Interchange (A12/A14 junction 55) totalling £4.322 million. A safety improvement scheme (£3.472 million) involving improvements to drainage and safety barriers, and a maintenance scheme (£0.850 million) involving the refurbishment of the carriageways.
	A structural maintenance scheme valued at £1.8 million.

Aviation

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many meetings Ministers in his Department have had with representatives of  (a) airlines and  (b) pilots since May 2010.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 28 February 2011,  Official Report, column 176W given to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Stephen Lloyd).

Aviation: Conditions of Employment

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the maximum amount of time airline pilots should be expected to fly in 24 hours.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 28 February 2011,  Official Report, column 177W, given to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Stephen Lloyd).

Aviation: Holidays

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the Air Travel Trust Fund to next report a surplus.

Theresa Villiers: The Air Travel Trust Funds meets the cost of refunds and repatriation arising from the insolvency of a travel company under the Air Travel Organisers License (ATOL) scheme. The deficit of the Air Travel Trust Fund was reported as £31.8 million in the Funds' annual accounts for the year ending 31 March 2010. One of the objectives of the reforms to the ATOL scheme that I announced to the House on 3 February 2011 is to reduce the Air Travel Trust Fund's deficit and return it to financial sustainability. It is expected that the Fund will be in surplus within three years of the reforms being implemented. The precise timing depends on a number of factors including the frequency and cost of travel company insolvencies.

Aviation: Safety

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the likely effects of the European Aviation Safety Agency's proposals to reduce the minimum rest period for airline pilots to seven and a half hours;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure that national standards on flight time limitations for commercial pilots are maintained once the European Aviation Safety Agency takes responsibility in this area.

Theresa Villiers: The European Aviation Safety Agency published draft legislation for consultation on 20 December 2010. The consultation closes on 20 March. The Civil Aviation Authority is currently reviewing the proposals. It will respond to the consultation once it has completed its review. Our aim is to ensure that the final requirements maintain a high level of safety for UK airlines.
	The EU already has competence in this area and it will not be possible to apply additional national standards once the requirements have come into effect.

Aviation: Safety

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from the airline industry on the European Aviation Safety Agency's proposals to change flight time limitations for pilots.

Theresa Villiers: I have not so far received any formal representations from the airline industry on this matter.

Aviation: Working Hours

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many meetings Ministers in his Department have had with  (a) airlines and  (b) pilots' representatives since May 2010

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 28 February 2011,  Official Report, column 176W , given to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Stephen Lloyd).

Aviation: Working Hours

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Council of Ministers on  (a) the European Aviation Safety Agency and  (b) flight time limitations.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 28 February 2011,  Official Report, column 178W, given to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Stephen Lloyd).

Aviation: Working Hours

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from the airline industry on the European Aviation Safety Agency's proposals to change flight time limitations for pilots.

Theresa Villiers: I have not received any formal representations from the airline industry on this matter so far.

Aviation: Working Hours

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the implementation of the European Union Bill will affect the transfer of authority over flight time limitations from the Civil Aviation Authority to the European Aviation Safety Agency.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 28 February 2011,  Official Report, column 177W, given to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Stephen Lloyd).

Aviation: Working Hours

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the maximum amount of time airline pilots should be expected to fly in one day.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 28 February 2011,  Official Report, column 177W, given to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Stephen Lloyd).

Aviation: Working Hours

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Government plans to respond to the European Aviation Safety Agency's Notice of Proposed Amendment for flight time limitations.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 28 February 2011,  Official  Report, columns 177-178W, given to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Stephen Lloyd).

Aviation: Working Hours

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to respond to the European Aviation Safety Agency's notice of proposed amendment for flight time limitations.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 28 February 2011,  Official Report, columns 177-78W given to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Stephen Lloyd).

Aviation: Working Hours

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has with the Council of Ministers on  (a) the European Aviation Safety Agency and  (b) proposals for limits on flight times.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 28 February 2011,  Official Report, column 176W given to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Stephen Lloyd).

Aviation: Working Hours

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely effect of implementation of the provisions of the European Union Bill on the transfer of authority over flight time limitations from the Civil Aviation Authority to the European Aviation Safety Agency.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 28 February 2011,  Official Report, column 177W given to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Stephen Lloyd).

Aviation: Working Hours

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from the airline industry on the European Aviation Safety Agency's proposals to change flight time limitations for pilots.

Theresa Villiers: I have not so far received any formal representations from the airline industry on this matter.

Aviation: Working Hours

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what factors he will use to determine whether his policy on the changes to pilots' flight time limitations proposed by the European Aviation Safety Agency provide an appropriate level of safety.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer given to the hon. Member for North Wiltshire (Mr Gray) of 17 February 2011,  Official Report, column 966W.

Cycling: Accidents

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to protect cyclists from injury in accidents involving heavy goods vehicles  (a) in inner city areas and  (b) elsewhere; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport is pursuing a number of measures to reduce pedal cycle fatalities in collisions with HGVs. We continue to raise the standard of driver training and support local authority initiatives in raising awareness among both cyclists and HGV drivers of the risk. In particular we support the initiatives by TfL to address this issue in London.
	Vehicle safety regulation is made at the EU level and Regulations mandate side guards and improved mirrors on most HGVs. However, there is still an issue of a blind spot on many vehicles and research is currently under way how to address the issue of improving driver vision from all types of HGVs. I visited a manufacturer in my constituency last week which is addressing these specific issues.

Cycling: Training

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects on the provision of cycle training funded by Bikeability of adopting  (a) one,  (b) two and  (c) three year funding cycles.

Norman Baker: The Government have committed to support Bikeability cycle training for the remainder of this Parliament to signal our strong and continuing support for this programme. For 2011-12, £11 million of grant funding will be made available to local authorities and School Sports Partnerships, providing the opportunity for more than 275,000 children to receive Bikeability training. Later this year, prior to decisions on 2012-13 funding, the Department for Transport will review the allocation of Bikeability grants, including consideration of any benefits of multi-year grant arrangements.

Departmental NDPBs

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what targets have been set for the work of the Driving Standards Agency.

Michael Penning: The Driving Standards Agency's targets are laid out in its annual business plan. Business plans are published on the agency's corporate website and copies of which have been laid in the Libraries of both Houses.

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what regulations his Department has removed since 6 May 2010.

Norman Baker: Since May 2010, my Department has not revoked any regulatory measures other than those revoked by measures that replaced them. However, it is possible that regulations sponsored by the Department for Transport have been revoked by instruments for which other Departments have policy responsibility. In the last few months, the Department has launched a review of employment law and is conducting a fundamental review scrutinising the overall stock of Department for Transport regulation, alongside legacy measures inherited from the previous Administration. These have yet to conclude.

Driving: Training

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will put driver awareness courses on a national footing so that those who elect to go on such courses as an alternative to a driving penalty are able to do so at a local centre rather than in the area where the offence was committed.

Michael Penning: These driver awareness courses are offered by police forces as alternatives to intended prosecutions. There are nationally recognised schemes developed by the National Driver Offender Retraining Schemes (NDORS) initiative and operated by many police forces.
	For example, the NDORS initiative for speed awareness courses is used by the vast majority of English police forces. Hence it offers drivers resident in a participating police force area the opportunity to take a course at a local centre rather than one near where they were detected speeding, provided the force detecting the speeding also participates in the scheme.
	I am working with the police towards the aim of all English forces participating in NDORS.
	However, the decisions about whether, and if so what, alternatives to potential prosecution to offer are for local police forces and police authorities to make. I am therefore reluctant to dictate how police forces must operate in respect of driver awareness courses. Such decisions are rightly influenced by local priorities, policies, resources and other circumstances.

Electric Vehicles

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the average rate of use of charging points for electric vehicles in the last six months.

Norman Baker: We do not have access to data on recharging for all EV charging points in the UK, as many of these have been put in by businesses for use by employees or the public.
	Data will be available on the usage of EV charging infrastructure installed as part of the Plugged-In Places programme. This data will start to be available once the back-offices for the schemes are installed. All eight back-offices are expected to be complete by autumn 2011.

Electric Vehicles

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects on levels of  (a) nitrogen dioxide and  (b) particulate matter emissions of greater use of electric power by buses and taxis.

Norman Baker: No detailed assessment of the air quality benefits a greater use of electric buses and taxis has been undertaken by the Department for Transport. However, as electric vehicles have zero tail pipe emissions there will be local air quality benefits with the increased use of such vehicles.

HM Coastguard: Closures

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 7 February 2011,  Official Report, column 58W, on sea rescue: closures, who conducted the impact assessment associated with the proposals set out in Protecting our Seas and Shores in the 21st Century; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The consultation document, together with the suite of documents published by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on 11 February, represents the collective, corporate position of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and its chief executive, Sir Alan Massey.

Lorries: Accidents

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) fatalities and  (b) serious injuries were caused by accidents involving large goods vehicles in each year from 2000 to 2010.

Michael Penning: The number of  (a) fatalities and  (b) serious injuries in reported accidents involving a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) for each year from 2000-09 is given in the following table. It is not possible to determine from the data whether the HGV caused the accident.
	
		
			  Number of casualties by severity in reported accidents involving at least one HGV( 1 ) GB: 2000- 09 
			  Number of casualties 
			   (a) Killed  (b) Seriously injured 
			 2000 560 2,719 
			 2001 575 2,564 
			 2002 532 2,374 
			 2003 528 2,111 
			 2004 449 1,884 
			 2005 486 1,785 
			 2006 419 1,700 
			 2007 435 1,574 
			 2008 368 1,344 
			 2009 268 1,171 
			 (1) Goods vehicles with a maximum gross vehicle weight of 3.5 tonnes or over. 
		
	
	Data for 2010 will be published in summer 2011.

Lorries: Accidents

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in how many road traffic accidents involving large goods vehicles driver tiredness was found to be a contributory factor in each year from 2000 to 2010.

Michael Penning: The number of reported personal injury road accidents where the contributory factor "Fatigue" was assigned to the driver of a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) is given in the following table. It is not possible to determine from the data whether the HGV caused the accident:
	
		
			  Reported personal injury road accidents involving a driver of a HGV( 1)  to whom a contributory factor "F atigue" assigned: Great Britain, 2005- 09 
			  Contributory factor( 2) : Fatigue  Number of accidents 
			 2005 155 
			 2006 172 
			 2007 143 
			 2008 110 
			 2009 95 
			 (1) Goods vehicles with a maximum gross vehicle weight of 3.5 tonnes or over. (2) Includes only personal injury road accidents where a police officer attended the scene and in which a contributory factor was reported. 
		
	
	Contributory factor data have only been collected since 2005. Data for 2010 will be published in summer 2011.

Lorries: Sleep Apnoea

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in how many road traffic accidents involving large goods vehicles the driver was found to be suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea in each year from 2000 to 2010.

Michael Penning: Some crashes involving heavy goods vehicles are identified as being wholly or partly caused by fatigue or falling asleep at the wheel, but there are no figures to indicate the role of obstructive sleep apnoea in most of these cases.

Lorries: Sleep Apnoea

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many heavy goods vehicle licence holders have had their licences suspended pending treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea in each year from 2000 to 2010.

Michael Penning: Driving licences cannot be suspended, instead the law allows for them to be revoked. Data on the number of licences revoked pending treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea is only held since 2004 and combines drivers with both large goods vehicle and/or passenger carrying vehicle driving entitlement. These volumes are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004 67 
			 2005 66 
			 2006 56 
			 2007 61 
			 2008 44 
			 2009 44 
			 2010 37

Lorries: Sleep Apnoea

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many applications for heavy goods vehicle licences were refused because the applicant was suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea in each year from 2000 to 2010.

Michael Penning: Information on how many applications for a driving licence were refused because the applicant was suffering from sleep apnoea is only available since 2004 and combines both large goods vehicle and/or passenger carrying vehicle driving entitlement. These volumes are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004 67 
			 2005 68 
			 2006 88 
			 2007 132 
			 2008 127 
			 2009 121 
			 2010 100

Network Rail: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what savings Network Rail has identified to date to contribute to its efficiency savings over the regulatory period; and in what areas of its operations such savings are expected to arise.

Theresa Villiers: The independent Office of Rail Regulation has set Network Rail a requirement to make efficiency savings of 21% over Control Period 4-which covers 2009 to 2014-in the operation, maintenance and renewal of the national network. It falls to the Office of Rail Regulation to monitor Network Rail's progress towards achieving this target on a continuous basis.

Pedestrian Crossings

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which bodies are responsible for providing safe crossing routes for  (a) school children and  (b) other pedestrians at locations where lights-controlled crossings are not operational; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The provision of pedestrian crossing facilities on the public highway, including crossing facilities not controlled by traffic signals, is a matter for the relevant highway authority.

Rescue Services: Fife Ness

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions the Fife Ness coastguard service was called out in the last three years; and for what types of incident.

Michael Penning: holding answer 28 February 2011
	The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) at Forth is located within Fife Ness. The following statistics outline the incidents the MRCC coordinated over the last three years.
	It should be noted that the MRCC coordinates search and rescue during incidents. It is the volunteer coastguard rescue service and other search and rescue responders, such as the RNLI who respond to incidents.
	
		
			  Incidents for Forth (Including alarm, distress and uncertainty(ADU)) by revised incident Type/Year 
			  Revised Incident type  2008  2009  2010  Total 
			 AAID - Aircraft appears in difficulties - - 2 2 
			 AE - Aircraft Emergency 6 5 2 13 
			 ANR- Animal Rescue 1 1 4 6 
			 AOA - Assisting other authorities 25 33 64 122 
			 APS - Accident prevention and surveillance 4 7 9 20 
			 DD - Diver - In difficulties 4 2 2 8 
			 DM - Diver medical 3 5 4 12 
			 DO - Diver Overdue or missing 1 - - 1 
			 E- Exercise 8 10 3 21 
			 FAGI - False Alert - Good intent 81 122 129 332 
			 FAMI - False Alert - Malicious intent 16 13 10 39 
			 FLT - Flare Report Telephone 1 9 2 12 
			 FO - Fault - Other 1 - - 1 
			 G121.5 -121.5 Transmission 1 - - 1 
			 G243 - 243 Transmission 1 - - 1 
			 G406 -406 Transmission 2 3 1 6 
			 GDSCV - DSC VHF - 2 - 2 
			 ML - Medical evacuation from land 4 4 6 14 
			 MRA - Medical Radio Medical Advice - 1 - 1 
			 MS - Medical evacuation from vessel 6 6 8 20 
			 OL - Ordnance - On land 4 1 5 10 
			 OS - Ordnance at sea 6 3 4 13 
			 PB - Persons - Body recovery 1 3 6 10 
			 PC - Persons - Cut off or stranded 31 45 44 120 
			 PILL - Persons - Illness - 2 1 3 
			 PINJ - Persons - Injured 8 9 9 26 
			 PIW - Persons - In water 21 26 36 83 
			 PMIS - Persons - Missing 5 9 8 22 
			 POC - Persons - on cliff 5 8 13 26 
			 PS - Persons - Suicide or attempted suicide 20 19 33 72 
			 PSIM - Person stuck in mud 3 1 1 5 
			 T- Training 5 3 2 10 
			 VAB - Vessel - Abandoned 3 3 3 9 
			 VAD - Vessel - Adverse conditions 3 8 5 16 
			 VAG - Vessel - Aground 11 21 8 40 
			 VAID - Vessel appears in difficulties 6 17 9 32 
			 VCAP - Vessel - Capsized 5 8 8 21 
			 VCOL - Vessel - Collision - 1 - 1 
			 VD - Vessel - Drifting or dragging anchor 5 9 13 27 
			 VDEF - Vessel - DEFREP or Machinery Failure 35 52 54 141 
			 VF - Vessel - Fire or explosion 1 - - 1 
			 VFUEL - Vessel - Out of fuel 3 6 7 16 
			 VGF - Vessel - Gear fouled 4 2 4 10 
			 VHI - Vessel Hazardous Incident - 1 5 6 
			 VMOB - Vessel - Man overboard - 2 - 2 
			 VO - Vessel - Overdue - 4 1 5 
			 VPF - Vessel Propeller fouled 4 2 4 10 
			 VPIR - Vessel - Piracy or hijack 1 - - 1 
			 VS - Vessel Sinking 2 1 3 6 
			 VSMR - Vessel Sail, mast or rigging failure - 2 - 2 
			 VSUNK - Vessel - Sunk 4 - - 4 
			 VTW - Vessel - Taking water 2 1 9 12 
			 VUP - Vessel Unsure of position - 2 1 3 
			 WCI - Watercraft inflatable 2 3 1 6 
			 WCP - Watercraft powered 1 1 5 7 
			 WCUN - Watercraft unpowered 6 7 5 18 
			 Other 6 3 3 12 
			 Grand Total 378 508 556 1,442

Roads: Safety

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the change in the level of the  (a) Road Safety Capital Grant and  (b) Road Safety Revenue Grant reduction in each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Michael Penning: No payments of either the specific road safety capital grant or the dedicated road safety resource grant (or road safety funding stream within the area based grant) are planned to be made during the comprehensive spending review period from 2011-12 to 2014-15.
	In the case of the specific road safety capital grant this is because the capital funding streams paid by the Department for Transport to local authorities have been simplified radically. The number of these transport capital funding streams has been reduced from 26 to four.
	This is to assist increasing local control, participation and accountability in the use of resources by enabling local communities to decide their own priorities and set their budgets according to local, not national, priorities. More details about local transport capital funding are on the Department for Transport's website.
	In the case of revenue funding, the local transport elements of the former area based grant have been rolled into the general formula grant for the comprehensive spending review period. These local transport elements were the resource funding streams for road safety, the maintenance of de-trunked roads and rural bus subsidy grant.
	The general formula grant paid to local authorities has been increased for 2011-12 and subsequent years by an adjustment of £112 million in the 2010-11 baseline. This adjusted figure for 2010-11 is then used in the calculation of the 2011-12 revenue support grant settlement.
	Detailed information is published in the local government finance section of the Department of Communities and Local Government's website at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/ssas.htm

UN Decade of Road Safety

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who is to be nominated as the national focal point for the UN Decade of Road Safety; and when that nomination is to be made to the World Health Organisation.

Michael Penning: The role of the national focal point is a working level role, dealing with information sent by the World Health Organisation such as research and providing data on request.
	An official from the division dealing with road safety within the Department for Transport will be the national focal point for the UN Decade of Road Safety. We are in the process of notifying the World Health Organisation of this nomination.

EDUCATION

Adoption

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on adoption procedures; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 14 February 2011
	I regularly receive representations about adoption from Members of Parliament, adopters, adoption professionals, voluntary organisations, councillors and members of the public. I also receive valuable feedback and advice from my Ministerial Advisory Group on Adoption and from the Department's Adoption Stakeholder Group, both of which include representatives from local authorities and the voluntary sector. I also recently held a roundtable event with a group of adopters to hear their views on what is working well and what needs to improve, and plan shortly to hold a similar event with a group of adopted children.

Apprentices

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many young people aged 14 to 16 years have participated in a young apprenticeship in  (a) England,  (b) the North West and  (c) West Lancashire constituency in each of the last three years.

Nick Gibb: Starts to the programme in England and for the North West are shown in the following table. Data are not collected by constituency.
	
		
			  As at September:  YA Cohort  National planned places  National starts  North West starts 
			 2008 Cohort 5 9,000 9,232 1,302 
			 2009 Cohort 6 9,000 7,671 1,124 
			 2010 Cohort 7 10,000 9,365 1,065

Apprentices: Finance

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much he plans to allocate to young apprenticeships in each of the next four years.

Nick Gibb: We are currently considering the implications of the spending review settlement-including budgets for the Young Apprenticeship programme.
	The outcomes of Professor Alison Wolf's Review of Vocational Education, due to report in spring 2011, will inform our decision about the future of the Young Apprenticeship programme.

Children: Care Homes and Foster Care

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children aged  (a) five,  (b) 10 and  (c) 15 were in (i) residential care and (ii) foster care in (A) 1990, (B) 2000 and (C) 2010.

Tim Loughton: The information is not available for 1990. The earliest year for which this information is available is 1992 and this has been included in the following table with the information for 2000 and 2010.
	
		
			  Children looked after at 31 March aged (a) 5, (b) 10 and (c) 15 in (i) residential care and (ii) foster care( 1, 2, 3 4)  Years ending 31 March 1992, 2000 and 2010 Coverage: England 
			  Numbers 
			   Residential care  Foster care 
			  Age at31 March  1992  2000  2010  1992  2000  2010 
			 5 90 40 10 1,500 1,700 1,700 
			 10 400 360 140 1,800 2,300 2,400 
			 15 1,900 1,700 1,600 2,800 3,100 4,300 
			 (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (2) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements. (3) Children in residential care include children looked after and placed in secure units, children placed in homes and hostels subject to Children's Homes Regulations, children placed in residential accommodation (hostels and supportive residential settings) not subject to Children's homes regulations, children placed in residential settings and children in all residential schools, except where dual-registered as a school and children's home. (4) Figures are taken from the SSDA903 return which for 1992 and 2010 cover all children looked after and for 2000 have been derived from the one third sample.  Source: SSDA903

Children: Disadvantaged

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his estimate is of the level of deprivation for school children resident in  (a) Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency and  (b) Lancashire using as a measure (i) eligibility for free school meals and (ii) the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index 2007.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  (i) Number and percentage of pupils( 1, 2)  resident in (a) Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency and (b) Lancashire known to be eligible for free school meals in 2010 
			   Number of pupils( 1)  eligible for free school meals  Percentage of pupils( 1)  eligible for free school meals 
			 Blackpool North and Cleveleys 2,402 22.3 
			 Lancashire 23,456 15.3 
			 (1) Includes full-time and part-time pupils who are sole or dual registrations, attending maintained nursery, primary, middle deemed primary, secondary and middle deemed secondary schools, City Technology Colleges, Academies and all Special Schools. Includes Boarders. (2) Pupils eligible for free school meals who have full-time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged between 5 and 15.  Source: School Census (Final) 
		
	
	
		
			  (ii) Number and percentage of pupils( 1, 2)  resident in (a) Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency and (b) Lancashire by IDACI( 3, 4)  deprivation decile in 2010 
			   Blackpool North and Cleveleys  Lancashire 
			  IDACI decile34  Number of pupils  Percentage of pupils  Number of pupils  Percentage of pupils 
			 0-10% most deprived 1,940 17.4 16,289 10.0 
			 10-20 706 6.3 18,311 11.2 
			 20-30 626 5.6 14,839 9.1 
			 30-40 1,973 17.7 16,232 9.9 
			 40-50 2,084 18.7 12,311 7.5 
			 50-60 1,783 16.0 12,432 7.6 
			 60-70 930 8.3 15,984 9.8 
			 70-80 340 3.1 16,934 10.4 
			 80-90 554 5.0 19,459 11.9 
			 90-100 least deprived 210 1.9 20,682 12.7 
			 (1) Includes full-time and part-time pupils who are sole or dual registrations, attending maintained nursery, primary, middle deemed primary, secondary and middle deemed secondary schools, City Technology Colleges, Academies and all Special Schools. Includes Boarders. (2) Pupils with known home postcode in full or part time attendance attending maintained nursery schools, in National Curriculum Year Groups Reception -Year 14 and pupils attending special schools who do not follow the National Curriculum. (3) Income Deprivation Affecting Children Indices. Each SOA in England is given a score which ranks it between 1 and 32,482 - 1 being the most deprived. (4 )IDACI bands are based on 2007 IDACI scores.  Source: School Census (Final)

Children: Protection

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has plans to repeal Section 175 of the Education Act 2002 on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 3 February 2011
	There are no plans to repeal section 175 of the Education Act 2002. This section was introduced following the tragic death of Lauren Wright, to ensure that schools do not ignore or overlook guidance on safeguarding in schools issued by my Department. The section assists governing bodies of schools in making such arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils.

College of Social Work

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will investigate the use of public funds provided for the establishment of the College of Social Work by the Social Care Institute for Excellence and the Interim Board of the College of Social Work.

Tim Loughton: Following the publication of the Social Work Task Force Report, the Department for Education committed to match £2.5 million of funding made available by the Department of Health to support the establishment of an independent, national college of social work. This Department's funds have not yet been allocated and officials are in discussions regarding the appropriate time that further funds will need to be made available to meet the emerging business development plan. Both Departments have recently investigated concerns raised with us in relation to the college's use of public funds and are reassured that there is no actual or proposed misuse.

College of Social Work: British Association of Social Workers

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will meet the Chair and Chief Executive of the British Association of Social Workers to discuss the College of Social Work.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 7 February 2011
	Ministers have already discussed this matter with the chief executive of the British Association of Social Workers on numerous occasions. They have recently written to both the College of Social Work and the British Association of Social Workers urging the two organisations to resume discussions on convergence and offering their services to help, if necessary, and a meeting has now happened.

College of Social Work: Social Care Institute for Excellence

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding his Department has allocated to the Social Care Institute for Excellence since the announcement of the College of Social Work; and how much funding he has allocated to the Social Care Institute for Excellence in each of the next five years.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 7 February 2011
	The Social Care Institute for Excellence has been asked to facilitate the establishment of the College of Social Work, providing administrative support and expertise in a developmental phase of two years. The Department of Health has made £2.5 million available for this work. The Department of Education has committed to match this funding and officials are in discussions as to the appropriate time to make funds available to meet the emerging business development plan.

Departmental Manpower

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many agency workers his Department and its non-departmental public bodies employ at each pay grade.

Tim Loughton: Information for the Department is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Grade  Number of staff 
			 Executive Assistant 6 
			 Executive Officer (1)- 
			 Higher Executive Officer 0 
			 Senior Executive Officer (1)- 
			 Grade 7 0 
			 Grade 6 0 
			 SCS 0 
			 (1) Fewer than five 
		
	
	Information for the Department's non-departmental public bodies and their agency staff is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Responsibilities

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many  (a) units and  (b) teams have been established in his Department since May 2010; and what the (i) name, (ii) purpose, (iii) staffing levels and (iv) annual running cost is of each such team or unit.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 27 January 2011
	 Published information is available on the Department's website as part of Transparency Agenda.
	Information on the departmental structure can be found at:
	http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/d/dfe%20 organisation%20chart%20as%20of%2030%20september%202010.pdf
	Information on team and business unit purpose can be found at:
	http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/xls/d/dfe%20senior%20posts%20dataset.csv
	Annual running costs for each business directorate are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Directorate  Annual running costs (£) 
			 Education Standards 30,628,180 
			 Infrastructure and Funding 19,286,694 
			 Children, Young People and Families 32,230,619 
			 Finance and Corporate Services 90,506,501 
			 Internal Audit 2,043,000 
			 Legal Advisers 3,857,000 
			 Private Office 3,920,000

Education: Finance

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the level of entitlement funding was in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12 for (i) England, (ii) Greater London, (iii) Islington and (iv) City and Islington College.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 24 January 2011
	The entitlement funding in 2010/11 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Entitlement funding (£ million) 
			 England 899 
			 Greater London 136 
			 Islington 4.7 
			 City and Islington College 4.2 
		
	
	The figure for Islington is the total of entitlement funding allocated to:
	Highbury Grove School
	Highbury Fields School
	Central Foundation Boys' School
	St Aloysius R.C. College
	St Mary Magdalene Academy
	City of London Academy Islington
	City and Islington College
	Springboard Islington Trust
	Pre-School Learning Alliance
	Jobwise Training
	Funding for the entitlement is ending in 2011/12, but we have protected 30 guided learning hours for tutorials, which equates to £195 per student before uplifts for area costs, success rates and disadvantage are applied. Actual allocations of funding for providers for 2011/12 are still being calculated and will not be finalised until March.

Education: Financial Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the provision of financial education for young people; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Finance education is currently part of non-statutory Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education at Key Stages 1 to 4. All young people should benefit from high-quality PSHE, which includes financial capability. We announced, in the recent Schools White Paper, "The Importance of Teaching", our intention to conduct an internal review of PSHE education to determine how we can support schools to improve the quality of PSHE teaching, including giving teachers the flexibility to use their judgment about how best to deliver PSHE.
	The Department for Education is currently developing the remit for the internal PSHE review and further information will be available in due course.

Extended Schools

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what his Department's future plans are for extended schools;
	(2)  whether  (a) academies and  (b) free schools will have a duty to provide extended hours schooling;
	(3)  how much his Department has allocated to fund extended schools in each year for the comprehensive spending review period;
	(4)  what funding his Department plans to allocate for extended hours schooling in  (a) academies and  (b) free schools over the period of the comprehensive spending review.
	(5)  how many school pupils attended  (a) breakfast clubs, (b) after-school and homework clubs and  (c) other forms of extended hours schooling in the latest period for which figures are available; and what evaluation his Department has made of the effects on academic attainment of the provision of such services.

Sarah Teather: In the Schools White Paper "The Importance of Teaching", published in November 2010, we said that we will rely on schools to work together with voluntary, business and statutory agencies to create an environment where every child can learn, and can experience new and challenging opportunities through extended services. This includes academies and free schools.
	The comprehensive spending review 2010 announced that the amounts of extended services funding currently provided through the Department's Standards Fund will form part of the overall schools revenue baseline from April 2011. There will be no specific amounts earmarked for extended services. Schools, including academies and free schools, will have freedom and flexibility to spend their budgets to support their pupils in the ways they judge best.
	The Department does not collect data on how many school pupils attend (a) breakfast clubs, (b) after-school and homework clubs and (c) other forms of extended hours schooling. However, two recently published surveys give an indication of the proportion of children using various services.
	The Department's Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents for 2009, published in 2010, entailed interviews with a sample of just over 6,700 parents with children aged under 15. This found that one-third of the sample of families used a breakfast or after-school club on a school site and 7% used a breakfast or after-school club off-site. The most common activity that children took part in was sport (60% of those using before or after school provision) and just under one-third took part in play/recreational activities, or other creative activities (31% and 28% respectively). 30% were undertaking study, homework, computer activities or learning languages. Some children were engaging in more than one type of activity.
	Full details can be found at:
	http://publications.education.gov.uk/default.aspx?Page Function =productdetails&PageMode=publications&Productld=DFE-RR054
	The Department has published a fuller summary of evidence of the impact of extended services, which can be found at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/popularquestions/schools/typesofschools/extendedschools/a005585/what-are-extended-services

Free Schools

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent to date on supporting and promoting applications for free schools;
	(2)  whether his Department has allocated resources to groups who have made applications for free schools.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 24 January 2011
	 The Department does not provide direct support, either financial or in the form of other resources, to free schools applicants until their proposal has been approved by Ministers to proceed to business case and plan stage.
	At application stage, support to groups or individuals is provided by the New Schools Network (NSN), an independent charitable organisation that is funded by the Department. To date the cost of the grant provided to NSN has been £86,137.

Free Schools: Finance

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of introducing the first free schools by September 2011;
	(2)  whether any funding from the public purse has been allocated to support the capital requirements of free schools.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 8 February 2011
	All Free Schools opening in 2011 will receive revenue funding at a rate that is equivalent to maintained schools and academies. On capital funding up to £50 million has been set aside in 2010-11 to meet the capital needs of Free Schools. Beyond that, provision forms part of the overall spending review settlement for schools. Allocations for free schools have yet to be decided and will be dependent in part on the conclusion of the capital review which we intend to publish shortly.

Languages: Education

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of hours of modern foreign languages teaching there were in primary schools in each of the last three years.

Nick Gibb: Research published by the Department in July 2009 measured the proportion of primary schools teaching languages to at least some of their year groups at key stage 2 across the years 2006-08. Across the three years of the survey the proportions were:
	2006: 70%;
	2007: 84%;
	2008: 92%.
	In addition, the research showed the proportion of primary schools teaching languages to all four year groups in the key stage. These proportions were:
	2006: 34%;
	2007: 54%;
	2008: 69%.
	In most cases, this included all pupils within key stage 2.
	No further research was commissioned by the Department in 2010 in this area.

Languages: Education

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of maintained schools teach  (a) French,  (b) German,  (c) Latin,  (d) Spanish and  (e) any other language on a weekly basis.

Nick Gibb: Research published by the Department in July 2009 measured the proportions of the 92% of primary schools teaching languages in curriculum time as follows:
	 (a) French: 89%;
	 (b) German:10%;
	 (c) Latin: a statistically insignificant number;
	 (d) Spanish: 25%;
	 (e) Other languages in curriculum time in appreciable numbers as follows:
	Italian: 3%;
	Chinese: 1%;
	Japanese: 1%;
	Urdu: <1%.
	The Languages Trends survey 2010 published by CILT, the National Centre for Languages, in January 2011 showed that the proportion of maintained secondary schools teaching these languages in curriculum time was as follows:
	 (a) French: 98% at key stage 3 and 96% at key stage 4;
	 (b) German: 58% at key stage 3 and 60% at key stage 4;
	 (c) Latin: 5% across both key stages;
	 (d) Spanish: 63% at key stage 3 and 64% at key stage 4; and
	 (e) Other languages taught in curriculum time in an appreciable number of schools were:
	Arabic: 1% at both key stage 3 and key stage 4;
	Italian: 4% at key stage 3 and 6% at key stage 4;
	Japanese: 1% at key stage 3 and 2% at key stage 4;
	Mandarin: 3% at key stage 3 and 3% at key stage 4;
	Russian: 0% at key stage 3 and 2% at key stage 4;
	Urdu: 5% at key stage 3 and 6% at key stage 4.

Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills: Inspections

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the cessation of Ofsted inspection for outstanding providers will apply to schools and colleges only or all settings under its remit.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 9 February 2011
	The Government have announced proposals to free outstanding schools, colleges and private training organisations from routine inspection, as part of plans to introduce more proportionate and targeted inspection arrangements. Consideration is currently being given to the appropriateness of extending the principle of exemption from inspection to other areas of Ofsted's remit.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his internal review of Personal, Social, Health and Economic education will include consideration of issues associated with training for teachers to deliver the subject.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 27 January 2011
	The Department for Education is currently developing the remit for the internal PSHE review and further information will be available in due course.

Pre-school Education: Finance

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has plans to review the hourly rate for early years funding in respect of the entitlement to 15 hours of free provision.

Sarah Teather: Local authorities, in consultation with their schools forums, decide how best to distribute three to 16 funding across their locality, and local authorities set their own local rates of funding to early years providers. We are reforming the distribution of funding by local authorities to ensure it is more efficient and transparent by requiring all authorities to introduce from April 2011 a locally agreed early years single funding formula (EYSFF). An analysis of the rates paid by the 71 local authorities that have already implemented their EYSFF is available on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/earlyyears/fundingreform/eysff_pathfinderprogramme/
	We will be consulting on the future of school funding, including whether to introduce a national funding formula, in spring 2011. As part of that consultation, we will also cover funding for early years provision.

School Capital Funding

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the Chair of the review of school capital funding receives a salary.

Nick Gibb: Sebastian James receives no salary or other remuneration for his work on the review of DfE capital.

School Capital Funding

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what remuneration is received by the members of the committee overseeing the review of school capital funding.

Nick Gibb: No member of the steering group of the review of DfE capital receives any remuneration for work on the review.

Schools: Performance Standards

Andrew Bingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what arrangement his Department makes to take into account the performance of schools offering international qualifications in its published measures of school performance; and if he will include in school league tables for 2010-11 a measure of performance which takes into account international qualifications.

Nick Gibb: The school and college (key stage 5) performance tables have included achievements in the international baccalaureate alongside A-levels since 1994. International GCSE (iGCSE) achievements were also included in the 2010 secondary school (key stage 4) performance tables for the first time, and will continue to be included from now on. As with all other qualifications included in the tables, iGCSEs are first accredited by Ofqual. This gives schools, parents, pupils, universities and employers an independent guarantee of quality. As soon as iGCSEs are accredited, the predecessor qualifications can be included in the performance tables. Some iGCSEs were not accredited in time, so could not be included in the 2010 tables. However, we fully expect that the most popular iGCSEs will be included in the 2011 performance tables.

Schools: Sports

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to announce details of future (a) funding and (b) arrangements for school sport partnerships.

Tim Loughton: On 1 February the Department for Education wrote to partnerships setting out the grant awarded to each partnership in the 2010-11 financial year (September 2010 to August 2011 school year), and confirming the funding that partnerships will receive as their second and final grant payment in February 2011 to cover the period to August 2011.
	The School Sport Partnership grant has been calculated on the basis of the cost of:
	Partnership Development Managers (PDMs); Assistant PDMs; School Sport Co-ordinators (SSCos); Primary Link Teachers (PLTs); and Further Education Sport Co-ordinators (FESCos), including pilot FESCos, for the autumn and spring terms (to 30 April 2011);
	PDMs; Assistant PDMs; SSCos; and FESCos, including pilot FESCos, for the summer term (to 31 August 2011). PLT training days are not funded in the summer term.
	While the grant is calculated on the basis of posts, it was announced in October that partnerships should decide for themselves how the grant is spent for the purpose of providing physical education and sport for young people. We expect that it will be used to embed good practice from the previous Administration's PE and Sport Strategy and to introduce new sport competitions for more pupils as part of the coalition Government's School Games planned for spring 2012.

Schools: Sports

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the likely effect on competitive sport  (a) within and  (b) between schools of the end of his Department's funding for competition managers.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 31 January 2011
	The Government believe that their new approach to encouraging competitive sport, including the changes to the funding of posts that were part of the previous Administration's strategy (such as competition managers), will result in more pupils playing more competitive sport. We can do much better than the two out of every five pupils that play competitive sport regularly within their own school, and the one in five pupils that plays regularly against other schools, reported last year. The national curriculum for physical education already requires schools to provide competitive sports for all pupils in maintained schools, aged five to 16, and we will make this clearer through the review of the national curriculum. We envisage schools and teachers taking greater control over what is taught in schools, innovating in how they teach it and developing new approaches. At the same time, we are encouraging the world of sport to improve and expand the competitions that are offered to schools, through the creation of a new School games.

Schools: Sports

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects to announce the funding for school sport partnerships in Warrington for 2011-13.

Tim Loughton: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), announced in October 2010 that the Department will not be funding school sport partnerships after this financial year, 2010-11. A final payment will be made to partnerships in Warrington at the end of February 2011, which covers the period to the end of the summer term. After that, it is up to the schools in Warrington whether they work in partnerships to organise physical education and competitive sports and how they fund this from their dedicated school grant. We envisage schools and teachers taking greater control over what is taught in PE, innovating in how they teach and developing new approaches. The Secretary of State also announced in December 2010 that the Department will provide £65 million in the new spending review period for secondary schools to release a PE teacher for a day a week to help local schools embed good practice and organise competitive sports. Secondary schools in Warrington will be eligible for a share of this funding. The Department is developing the arrangements for this and will notify schools in due course.

Schools: Sports

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2011,  Official Report, column 164W, on schools: sports, what assessment he has made of the effects of working with sports clubs on the teaching of sport in schools.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 1 February 2011
	The Department has not carried out any research studies into the effects of working with sports clubs on the teaching of sport in schools. Ofsted includes some positive observations in its 2009 report "Physical education in schools 2005/08", and the Department "PE and Sport Survey 2009/10" includes quantitative data on the number of school-club links. We believe, none the less, that links between schools and sports clubs are mutually beneficial. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has responsibility for promoting school-sport club links, and its Ministers intend to continue funding this through Sport England.

Science: Teachers

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will develop an indicator for schools to report the proportion of their science and mathematics teachers with specialist knowledge relevant to the subjects they teach.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 31 January 2011
	The Schools White Paper 2010, "The Importance of Teaching", sets out the Government's commitment to attract more of the best graduates of shortage subjects, including mathematics and science, into teaching. We will publish a strategy document for discussion early this year setting out our plans for funding initial teacher training from academic year 2012/13 to meet our policy aims.
	Information on the level and subject of all teachers' post A-level qualifications and for secondary school teachers the curriculum subject they teach forms part of the new annual School Workforce Census. From April this year information from the new School Workforce Census will be published on the qualifications and deployment of secondary school teachers as part of the School Workforce Statistical First Release.
	The data from the Census will enable the Department to provide annual analysis on the subject specialisms of the current teaching workforce, including the proportion of science and mathematics teachers with specialist knowledge relevant to the subjects they teach. This will enable us to monitor progress and ensure resources and initiatives are targeted appropriately.

Social Workers

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals to assist child protection social workers who experience stress due to their work.

Tim Loughton: Professor Munro is currently undertaking an independent review of child protection. She published her interim report on 1 February 2011. She has highlighted that if staff were well-supported in handling the emotional and cognitive aspects of the work more effectively, the problem of social workers leaving would be reduced. I look forward to receiving her final report and recommendations in April to which we will respond.

Teachers: Right of Search

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what consultation he has undertaken on his proposal to increase search powers for teachers.

Nick Gibb: In a statement to the House on 7 July I announced the Government's intention to introduce regulations to add to the list of items for which teachers can search and to introduce a more general search power in the next Education Bill.
	Following the July behaviour announcement, we undertook an informal consultation on the items to be added by regulations. On 13 September officials wrote to five teacher professional organisations and Ofsted inviting their views on the proposed regulations-we received three responses.
	Our intention to make regulations and to introduce a broader power also featured in the recent schools White Paper. In a letter to head teachers and chairs of governors on 24 November, the Secretary of State invited comment on the content of the White Paper.

Vocational Education

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to improve vocational education in schools.

Nick Gibb: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has asked Professor Alison Wolf to carry out an independent review of vocational education. Professor Wolf will consider the organisation, funding, and target audience for vocational education, and the principles that should underpin the content, structure and teaching methods. She will report in the spring, and her findings will inform future developments to improve the standard of vocational education for 14 to 19-year-olds.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices: Greater London

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people took up an engineering apprenticeship in  (a) England,  (b) the London Borough of Enfield and  (c) Enfield North constituency in 2009-10.

John Hayes: Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship starts by young people (aged under 19) on an engineering framework in England, Enfield local authority and Enfield North parliamentary constituency in the 2009/10 academic year.
	
		
			  Table 1: Apprenticeship programme starts by young people (aged under 19) on the engineering framework in England, Enfield local authority and Enfield North constituency, 2009/10 
			  Geography  Apprenticeship starts 
			 Enfield North Parliamentary Constituency - 
			 Enfield Local Authority - 
			 England 7,800 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for England are rounded to the nearest 100. Figures for parliamentary constituency and local authority are rounded to the nearest 100. '-' indicates a base value of less than five. 2. Age is based on age at the start of the programme. 3. Geographic information is based upon the home postcode of the learner. The England figure includes those learners studying in England where the postcode is not known or is outside of England.  Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 January 2011:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Apprentices: Redundancy

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many apprentices  (a) in each age group and  (b) at each apprenticeship level have been made redundant since May 2010;
	(2)  what arrangements his Department has put in place to record the number of apprentices made redundant.

John Hayes: holding answer 28 February 2011
	 Since the beginning of the 2009/10 academic year, information on apprentices who leave the programme due to redundancy is submitted by colleges and training providers to the Skills Funding Agency in my Department, as part of the Individualised Learner Record (ILR).
	The following table shows the number of apprentices who left the programme due to redundancy, during the six month period May to October 2010 (that is, Quarter 4 2009/10 academic year (based on final data), and Quarter 1 2010/11 (based on provisional data).
	
		
			   Intermediate apprenticeships  Advanced/higher apprenticeships  All apprenticeships 
			 Under 19 130 210 340 
			 19-24 50 70 120 
			 25+ 20 20 40 
			 All ages 200 290 490

British Postal Museum and Archive

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to transfer responsibility for the British Postal Museum and Archive from Royal Mail to Post Office Ltd.

Edward Davey: The British Postal Museum and Archive (BPMA) is an independent trust. Royal Mail supports the BPMA through charitable contributions to the museum and through a service contract for the maintenance of the archive.
	We have included provisions in the Postal Services Bill that would enable the Lord Chancellor to issue a direction that would have the effect of requiring Royal Mail to keep and maintain the archive that is currently placed on deposit with the BPMA in line with the Public Records Act, regardless of Royal Mail's future ownership.

British Postal Museum and Archive

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what arrangements are in place to ensure that Royal Mail has a responsibility in perpetuity to transfer  (a) archives,  (b) stamps and  (c) other artefacts to the British Postal Museum and Archive.

Edward Davey: We have included provisions in the Postal Services Bill that would enable the Lord Chancellor to issue a direction that would have the effect of requiring Royal Mail to keep and maintain the public records (which includes stamp issues) placed on deposit with the British Postal Museum and Archive in line with the Public Records Act. The museum collection is a significant part of Royal Mail's heritage. We consider that the company will continue to ensure, regardless of ownership, that this heritage is preserved as it is an important part of the Royal Mail brand.

British Postal Museum and Archive

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when Ministers in his Department last met representatives of the British Postal Museum and Archive; what matters were  (a) discussed and  (b) agreed at that meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: I met representatives of the British Postal Museum and Archive (BPMA) when I visited the archive on 10 February this year. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my noble Friend, accompanied me on the visit. The visit was primarily an introductory visit as neither of us had visited the BPMA before. We discussed the maintenance of the museum and archive in general. No agreements were reached.

British Postal Museum and Archive

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the status is of the British Postal Museum and Archive's plans to develop a new base in Swindon; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The location of the British Museum and Archive is a matter for the BPMA and Royal Mail.
	I understand that the move to Swindon is no longer going ahead but that other options are being considered.

Directors: Disqualification

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects the updating of the Guidance Notes for the Completion of Statutory Report and Returns (Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986) to be completed.

Edward Davey: The Insolvency Service's website carries a web based version of the guidance which is updated as and when required.

Directors: Disqualification

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the merit of producing an online version of the D1 report forms on the required conduct of directors under the provisions of the Company Directors' Disqualification Act 1986.

Edward Davey: The Insolvency Service has identified the submission of D1 reports as a service that could be moved online at an appropriate opportunity.

Directors: Disqualification

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he has taken to work with  (a) the insolvency profession and  (b) others on the reform of procedures for the identification and investigation of potential misconduct on the part of company directors to ensure that the most serious cases can be easily identified.

Edward Davey: The Insolvency Service monitors and assesses business information and liaises with business and regulatory organisations to identify high profile and complex insolvencies, and developing trends in misconduct. It also liaises with insolvency practitioner office holders to assess, and plan for, the impact of large investigations on the Insolvency Service's resources. In addition, the Insolvency Service maintains an outreach programme with insolvency practitioners that provide education on the work of the Insolvency Service's disqualification procedures and reporting requirements.

Directors: Disqualification

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the merit of hypothecating funds from the levying of fines on directors disqualified under the provisions of the Company Directors' Disqualification Act 1986 to fund the Insolvency Service's work on disqualification.

Edward Davey: There are no plans for a fine, or a levy, on directors disqualified under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 (CDDA 1986).
	As disqualification proceedings are public interest proceedings, there are objections to a fine or a levy being imposed as part of the public interest criteria especially as defendants in disqualification cases are able to take advantage of the undertaking regime. Most directors offer a disqualification undertaking (79% of directors were disqualified by undertaking in 2009-10).
	In any event, disqualification proceedings are not criminal but civil proceedings initiated in the public interest. The primary purpose of disqualification is not punishment of directors but the protection of the public through incapacitation and deterrence.
	Legal costs are sought against directors who are disqualified by court order, as in other civil proceedings.

Directors: Disqualification

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria the Insolvency Service uses to identify which D1 reports on the required conduct of directors under the provisions of the Company Directors' Disqualification Act 1986 are most effective in ensuring that cases which may involve the most serious misconduct are investigated.

Edward Davey: The Insolvency Service applies public interest and evidential criteria to all D1 reports received from insolvency practitioners, ensuring that all cases which meet the criteria will be taken forward to investigation. This would ensure that the most serious, in terms of public interest, are investigated.

Export Credit Guarantees

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the difference in premiums and interest rates offered by  (a) the Export Credits Guarantee Department and  (b) private sector.

Edward Davey: The Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) carries out regular assessments of available private sector pricing with a view to not undercutting market rates.
	Loans guaranteed by ECGD are provided and funded by commercial banks. The interest rates applicable to these loans are set by the funding banks by reference to prevailing market rates, except where transactions are supported by ECGD's Fixed Rate Export Finance scheme. Under this scheme (which will cease to be available for new business from 1 April 2011) the interest rate is fixed in accordance with an internationally agreed formula determined by the OECD and derived from Government bond yields.

Export Credit Guarantees

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether there are any circumstances in which the Export Credits Guarantee Department requires exports to be backed with a sovereign counter guarantee from the importing country's government.

Edward Davey: Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) usually seeks a sovereign guarantee of payment that commits the full faith and credit of the sovereign government to honour its debt obligations on an export transaction where the buyer is a ministry or department of the central government. Sovereign guarantees of payment may also be sought where the buyer is a publicly owned entity in circumstances when ECGD judges that such security is necessary and it is available. ECGD does not normally seek sovereign guarantees of payment for export transactions involving private buyers or where it takes project risk involving limited recourse financing structures.

Further Education: Finance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding was provided for further education in the academic year 2009-10.

John Hayes: holding answer 28 February 2011
	 The Government allocate funding for further education on a financial year basis. Further Education (FE)and Skills provision for learners aged 16-18 years is funded by the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills funds provision for learners aged 19+ years. The 2009/10 academic year straddles both the 2009-10 and 2010-11 financial years. The allocations for each of those financial years are given as follows.
	The actual spend for the 2009-10 financial year on delivering teaching and learning for those aged 16-18 in FE colleges and sixth form colleges was £3.794 billion and £0.688 billion for this apprenticeships for this age group. For 2010-11 planned spend is £4.001 billion on provision for those aged 16-18 in FE college and sixth form colleges and further £0.780 billion on apprenticeships. The figures were published by Young Person's Learning Agency's (YPLA) in its funding statement(1) on 20 December 2010 and exclude funding used to support learners with learning difficulties and disabilities.
	For the 2009-10 the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills stated in its Skills Investment Strategy(2) published on 16 November 2009 that planned spend on adult learner responsive provision for those aged 19+ would be £1.753 billion and £0.389 billion on apprenticeships. As outlined in the grant letter(3) to the Skills Funding Agency 17 June 2010 in the 2010-11 financial year that planned adult learner responsive budget would be £1.799 billion and the planned adult apprenticeships budget would be £0.548 billion.
	(1) YPLA funding statement published in December 2010
	http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/YPLA/16-19_Funding_Statement.pdf
	(2) BIS Skills Investment Strategy 2010-11
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/corporate/migratedd/publications/s/skills-investment-strategy.pdf
	(3) Grant letter to the Skills Funding Agency
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/corporate/docs/s/10-1013-sfa-funding-letter-2010-11.pdf

Higher education: Admissions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people entered  (a) further education and  (b) higher education in the last 12 months.

John Hayes: holding answer 28 February 2011
	 Near final data shows that in 2009/10 academic year, there were 1,094,800 learners aged under 19 participating in further education (FE). This includes participation in general FE colleges, sixth forms colleges, special colleges and learners participating on apprenticeship programmes. This does not include learners participating in school sixth forms. This participation figure includes learners starting a course in 2009/10 and learners who started a course in a previous academic year and are continuing with their learning in 2009/10.
	For higher education, the definition of "young" differs for undergraduate and postgraduate entrants. For undergraduates, young refers to those aged under 21, and for postgraduates, those aged under 25. The latest figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) which cover the 2009/10 academic year, show there were 333,225 young (aged under 21) undergraduate entrants to English Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), and 108,724 young (aged under 25) postgraduate entrants to English HEIs.

Post Offices

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to his Department's document, Securing the Future of the Post Office in the Digital Age, in how many post offices he expects the sub-postmaster to lose their basic salary and be paid on commission for each transaction.

Edward Davey: The Department's document 'Securing the Future of the Post Office in the Digital Age indicated that over the next four years around 2,000 small sub-post offices will convert to the Post Office local model which has lower operating costs for both the retailer and Post Office Ltd. As sub-postmasters are not employees of Post Office Ltd they are not paid a salary but are remunerated in line with their contractual terms and conditions as agreed with the National Federation of SubPostmasters.

Postal Boxes: Repairs and Maintenance

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the change was in the cost of maintaining Royal Mail post office boxes between 2010 and 2011; and what the reason was for the change.

Edward Davey: The maintenance of its post boxes is an operational matter for Royal Mail.
	I have therefore asked the Chief Executive of Royal Mail, Moya Greene, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Sales Methods

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of regulations in reducing the incidence of aggressive sales techniques.

Edward Davey: The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 prohibit traders from engaging in aggressive practices which through the use of harassment, coercion or undue influence distort consumers' decisions in relation to products. These prohibitions are still relatively new and it would therefore be premature to conduct an assessment of how effective they have been in reducing the incidence of aggressive sales techniques.
	The Government have also asked the Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission to examine how private law might be reformed to provide clearer, simpler routes to redress for consumers who have suffered misleading or aggressive practices. Clearer, simpler private law will complement the public regulation of unfair commercial practices, deterring wrongful conduct.

Skills Funding Agency: Contracts

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many contracts the Skills Funding Agency awarded to  (a) small and medium-sized and  (b) large enterprises in the most recent six month period for which figures are available.

Mark Prisk: We do not hold this information centrally.
	I have asked the chief executive of the Skills Funding Agency to write to you providing the details of the number of contracts awarded to small, medium and large enterprises.

Tribunals Service: Competition Appeals Tribunal

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the transfer of the Competition Appeals Tribunal to the Tribunals Service.

Edward Davey: The transfer of sponsorship of the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to the Tribunals Service is dependant on the abolition of the Competition Service which currently provides administrative support to the CAT.
	A working party, comprising of officials from BIS, the Tribunals Service, Her Majesty's Treasury and the Competition Service have been examining the case for abolition of the Competition Service and will make recommendations to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Secretary of State for Justice shortly.
	If the Competition Service is not abolished the CAT sponsorship will remain with BIS.

Tribunals Service: Copyright Tribunal

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the transfer of the Copyright Tribunal to the Tribunals Service.

Edward Davey: The merger of the Copyright Tribunal with the Ministry of Justice's (MoJ) Tribunals Service was announced in October 2010, subject to agreement of the details with the MoJ. Discussions continue with the MoJ on precisely where the Copyright Tribunal would be situated within the Tribunals Service.

PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Responsibilities: Urban Areas

Nick Brown: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 15 November 2010,  Official Report, column 565W, on departmental responsibilities: urban areas, on what date he plans to announce the appointment of Ministers with responsibility for cities in England.

David Cameron: An announcement will be made shortly.

Third Sector

Chris Ruane: To ask the Prime Minister if he will assess the level of public appetite to participate in the big society initiative at times of reductions in public expenditure.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 February 2011 following my speech on the big society. A transcript of this can be found on the No. 10 website at:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/speeches-and-transcripts/2011/02/pms-speech-on-big-society-60563

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Conditions of Employment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of his Department's adherence to each of the principles of good employment practice set out in the Cabinet Office publication Principles of Good Employment Practice.

Owen Paterson: The Department adheres to each of the principles in the Principles of Good Employment Practice where applicable.

WALES

Departmental Conditions of Employment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment she has made of her Department's adherence to each of the principles of good employment practice set out in the Cabinet Office publication Principles of Good Employment Practice.

David Jones: The Principles of Good Employment relate to best practice for how contractors employ staff. The Wales Office does not procure contractors itself. The Office uses the Ministry of Justice's procurement systems and contractual arrangements.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Asbestos

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has for prevention of mesothelioma cases caused by exposure to asbestos.

Chris Grayling: The prevention of exposure to asbestos at work is and will continue to be a priority for HSE. The majority of work with asbestos can only be carried out by contractors licensed by HSE.
	In addition, when visiting employers as part of any relevant intervention, HSE visiting staff actively explore compliance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, with non-domestic building owners and occupiers who have a duty to manage any asbestos in their premises.
	HSE also works closely with stakeholders and partners to raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos and encourage trades people to access training.

Carer's Allowance

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the take-up of carer's allowance by those who are eligible; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Miller: The Department does not have an estimate of the take-up of carer's allowance. A feasibility study to assess if the Department can provide an estimate for the take-up of carer's allowance has been completed "(The take-up of carer's allowance: A feasibility study Working Paper no. 84":
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/WP84.pdf
	The study concluded that while it may be possible to provide an estimate of take-up, no approach is without measurement problems and would not provide an estimate for the entire carer's allowance population.

Child Support Agency

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by what date he expects the Child Support Agency Recovery Unit to return the papers relating to the two children of Samantha Docherty to the office handling the case.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the right hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, by what date he expects the Child Support Agency Recovery Unit to return the papers relating to the two children of Samantha Docherty to the office handling the case.
	As details about individual cases are confidential I have written to you separately about this case.

Children: Maintenance

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many adoptive parents are making child support payments to support children who are  (a) no longer in their care and  (b) in the care of the child's birth parents.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many adoptive parents are making Child Support Agency payments to support children who are (a) no longer in their care and (b) in the care of the child's birth parents.
	The Child Support Agency is not able to provide the figures requested because it only records that a person is a non-resident parent. It does not record whether they are adoptive parents or not. Child support legislation establishes that, where a child is adopted, responsibility for the child, should they qualify for child maintenance, rests with the adoptive parent (section 26(2) of the Child Support Act 1991). The liability of a biological parent to maintain her/his child ends on adoption and the parent by adoption becomes the only person liable to maintain the child. This approach supports the principle expressed in the Adoption and Children Act 2002, namely that someone who is adopted should be treated in law as the natural born child of the person who has adopted them.
	I am sorry I cannot be more helpful.

Christmas Bonus

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received the £10 Christmas bonus in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: There were 15.4 million individuals who received the £10 Christmas bonus in 2009-10. This is the most recent 12 months for which figures are available.
	 Notes
	1. This information is from the DWP statistical and accounting data.
	2. Caseloads for most benefits and benefit expenditure data can be found at the following URL:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/alltables_budget2010.xls

Disability Living Allowance

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether people awarded mobility allowance for life will continue to receive the allowance following implementation of his proposed reform of disability living allowance.

Maria Miller: Consultation on the reform of disability living allowance with the key proposal of a new benefit, to be known as personal independence payment, concluded on 18 February. The Welfare Reform Bill introducing the legislative changes necessary was introduced to the House on 16 February.
	The intention is that all working age recipients of disability living allowance, whether in receipt of an indefinite or a fixed award, will be reassessed under the conditions of entitlement to personal independence payment from 2013 to establish entitlement.

Disability Living Allowance

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether those eligible to claim the lowest rate of disability living allowance will be eligible for support under the personal independence payment scheme.

Maria Miller: Disability living allowance will be replaced by personal independence payment, a new, more transparent and sustainable benefit with an objective assessment of individual need. From 2013/14 working-age individuals in receipt of DLA will be reassessed against the new eligibility criteria for personal independence payment.
	We are finalising the design of personal independence payment. The assessment will look at people as individuals, rather than labelling them as part of a group, or with a particular health condition or impairment. I am, therefore, unable to predict the outcome of the assessment and precisely which individuals will see a change in entitlement.

Disability Living Allowance: Clwyd

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Clwyd South constituency claim the lowest rate of disability living allowance.

Maria Miller: People claim disability living allowance rather than a specific rate. The numbers entitled to each rate, or combination of rates, is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance recipients in Clwyd South constituency: May 2010 
			  All entitled cases  Number of claimants 
			 Higher care and higher mobility 1010 
			 Higher care and lower mobility 350 
			 Higher care only 60 
			 Middle care and higher mobility 710 
			 Middle care and lower mobility 650 
			 Middle care only 170 
			 Lower care and higher mobility 720 
			 Lower care and lower mobility 270 
			 Lower care only 430 
			 Higher mobility only 840 
			 Lower mobility only 80 
			 Total 5290 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest ten. 2. All entitled cases figures include people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 3. Constituencies used are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Housing Benefit

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the effects on labour mobility of his proposed changes to housing benefit.

Steve Webb: The Department is in the process of a procurement exercise with leading research organisations for the evaluation and monitoring of the impact of the housing benefit measures. The precise form of the evaluation will depend upon the outcome of negotiations with the successful contractor, but we anticipate that it will include fieldwork examining the effects on different types of households in a range of areas across Great Britain.

Housing Benefit: Fife

Gordon Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) elderly people and  (b) people of working age were in receipt of housing benefit in the Fife local authority area in each of the last three years.

Steve Webb: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Housing benefit recipients by age: Great Britain and Fife local authority 
			   All HB recipients  All aged under 65  All aged 65 and over 
			  October 2010
			 All 4,789,490 3,511,880 1,277,440 
			 Fife LA 30,730 22,370 8,360 
			 
			  October 2009
			 All 4,568,730 3,292,840 1,275,690 
			 Fife LA 29,690 21,180 8,500 
			 
			  November 2008
			 All 4,171,940 2,896,700 1,271,490 
			 Fife LA 27,350 18,020 9,330 
			  Notes: 1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases. An extended payment is a payment that may be received for a further four weeks when they start working full time, work more hours or earn more money. 4. Age groups are based on the age on the count date (second Thursday in the month), of either: (a) the recipient if they are single, or (b) the elder of the recipient or partner if claiming as a couple. 5. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. 6. The data is available monthly from November 2008 and October 2010 is the most recent available.  Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE).

Housing Benefit: Glasgow

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average amount of housing benefit paid for each type of tenure in  (a) the City of Glasgow local authority area and  (b) Glasgow South West constituency was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available for Glasgow South West parliamentary constituency.
	At present, geographic breakdowns are only available for local authorities and regions. However, an exercise is being undertaken to add other geographical areas to the data: this will include parliamentary constituencies.
	The data we do have for the city of Glasgow local authority are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Housing benefit by tenure in city of Glasgow local authority, October 2010 
			   Caseload  Average weekly amount (£) 
			 All tenants 90,450 70.41 
			 Local authority tenant 1,840 276.04 
			 Registered social landlord tenant 74,540 59.80 
			 Private regulated tenant 290 65.22 
			 Private deregulated tenant (LHA) 10,250 104.77 
			 Private deregulated tenant (non-LHA) 3,390 92.72 
			  Notes: 1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. Recipients are as at second Thursday of the month. 3. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 10. 4. Average amounts are shown as pounds per week and rounded to the nearest penny. 5. In March 2003, Glasgow transferred all its council housing stock to Glasgow housing association. The caseload and average weekly amounts shown in the table as 'local authority tenants' are actually non-housing revenue account properties. 6. Non-housing revenue account (HRA) rent rebate cases applies where a local housing authority secures accommodation from a private landlord and uses the accommodation as temporary accommodation to discharge its functions under the homelessness legislation, part 7 of the Housing Act 1996. This includes accommodation secured by the local authority (LA) under licence, by a short-term lease, or bed-and-breakfast accommodation. 7. Local housing allowance tenants (LHA) may include a small number of non-LHA cases making a new claim since 7 April 2008. This will include recipients in caravan accommodation. 8. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. 9. The total includes cases where the tenure type is recorded as unknown.  Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE).

Housing Benefit: Payments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the merits of paying housing benefit directly to landlords.

Steve Webb: We continue to support the principle that tenants in the private rented sector should be responsible for managing their rental payments rather than having the choice of having it paid to their landlord.
	Our two-year review of the operation of the local housing allowance, which was published on 10 February, established that in over 80% of cases benefit is being paid to the tenant and in a high proportion of these cases rent payments were made by automated credit transfer. The evidence also suggests that the majority of tenants take the responsibility for paying their rent very seriously.
	There are safeguards in place so that housing benefit can be paid to the landlord if the tenant is unable or unlikely to pay their rent. Benefit is also paid direct to the landlord if the tenant is in arrears by eight weeks' rent.
	From April 2011 we are widening local authority discretion to pay housing benefit direct to the landlord only if it would help the customer secure a new tenancy or remain in their current home at a reduced rent. We will work closely with local authorities to ensure this provision is used in very specific circumstances where landlords are reducing rents to a level that is affordable for customers.
	We will be considering and consulting on arrangements for the payment of benefit in the context of the universal credit.

Incapacity Benefit

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of incapacity benefit claimants who will be found fit for work but will not qualify for any payments when assessed for means-tested jobseeker's allowance in each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Chris Grayling: We are not able to provide figures for each year of the spending review period.
	However, it is estimated that around 1.5 million existing incapacity benefits customers will go through the reassessment process by 2014. Of these, approximately 23% are expected to be assessed as fit for work following their work capability assessment and moved off incapacity benefits. Around half are expected to go on to be eligible for either income-based or contributory jobseeker's allowance in each year of the reassessment process. An exact split is not available.
	People currently going through the reassessment process receiving contributory incapacity benefit are likely to qualify for contributory jobseeker's allowance if they are assessed as fit for work. Likewise anyone previously receiving income support on the grounds of incapacity and assessed as fit for work are likely to be eligible for income-based jobseeker's allowance.

Independent Living Fund

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received payments from the Independent Living Fund in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Maria Miller: In the period 1 February 2010 to 31 January 2011 22,358 people in the UK received at least one payment from the ILF.

Independent Living Fund

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what budget he plans to allocate to the Independent Living Fund for each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Maria Miller: The Department's detailed budgets, including that of the ILF for 2011-12 and the rest of the SR10 period, have not yet been finalised.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Fraud

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people normally resident in Motherwell and Wishaw constituency were prosecuted for offences relating to fraudulent claims for jobseeker's allowance in each of the last five years.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available, as to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost.
	Prosecutions in Scotland are the responsibility of the Procurator Fiscal, and data are not collated centrally.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Housing Benefit

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assumptions his Department has made for business planning purposes in respect of the likely number and proportion of people in receipt of jobseeker's allowance who will be affected by the 10 per cent. sanction on housing benefit as a result of not finding work after 12 months.

Chris Grayling: We have decided not to pursue this measure.

Lorries: Safety

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance the Health and Safety Executive provides to  (a) the road haulage industry and  (b) the passenger transport industry on the increased risk of road traffic accidents among drivers suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea.

Chris Grayling: The HSE does not provide guidance to the road haulage industry or the passenger transport industry on the increased risk of road traffic accidents to drivers suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea.
	The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), an agency of the Department for Transport, leads on matters relating to fitness to drive. Full details about health conditions that could affect a person's ability to drive are set out on the Directgov website:
	http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/MedicalRulesForDrivers/MedicalA-Z/index.htm
	HSE works with other organisations and regulators, as appropriate, to help improve the management of work related health and safety issues. HSE has collaborated with the Department for Transport to produce guidance to help companies whose staff drive for work. This guidance 'Driving at Work - Managing Work Related Road Risk' (INDG382) makes specific reference to the need for employers to be satisfied that their drivers are sufficiently fit and healthy to drive safely and not put others at risk.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 21 December 2010,  Official Report, column 1190W, on housing benefit: mortgages, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in the interest rate used to calculate Support for Mortgage Interest Payments on the number of people entitled to passported benefits.

Steve Webb: No assessment on the change to the number of claimants entitled to passported benefits as a result of the SIR change has been made.

Social Security Benefits: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in each ward in the London Borough of Bexley claimed  (a) jobseeker's allowance,  (b) disability living allowance and  (c) housing benefit in each of the last 12 months.

Steve Webb: The information requested in relation to housing benefit is not available at ward level.
	 Notes:
	1. From February 2007, DWP has been collecting more detailed HB/CTB data electronically from local authorities. Over time this will improve the accuracy, timeliness and level of detail available in the published statistics, as the information supplied is quality assured.
	2. Housing benefit caseload and average weekly amounts are available at local authority area level and these are published on the Department's website at
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=hbctb
	3. At present geographic breakdowns are only available for local authorities and regions. However, an exercise is being undertaken to add other geographical areas to the data.
	The information we have for jobseeker's allowance and disability living allowance are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table 1: Jobseeker's allowance claimants by each ward in the London borough of Bexley: each month February 2010 to January 2011 
			   2010  2011 
			   February  March  April  May  June  July  August  September  October  November  December  January 
			 Barnehurst 187 194 183 177 170 165 172 162 173 149 148 169 
			 Belvedere 331 332 333 316 312 291 293 307 318 301 304 315 
			 Blackfen and Lamorbey 173 151 156 132 126 132 148 140 137 131 118 120 
			 Blendon and Penhill 160 148 151 133 118 124 129 123 120 112 106 102 
			 Brampton 142 138 142 121 113 125 130 120 115 91 102 117 
			 Christchurch 213 204 182 188 188 173 163 165 153 144 152 148 
			 Colyers 341 350 337 332 332 328 327 344 304 288 277 304 
			 Cray Meadows 241 253 245 244 229 206 209 220 201 203 204 218 
			 Crayford 304 295 279 261 262 263 250 250 239 232 243 266 
			 Danson Park 199 195 168 156 153 162 168 161 148 148 134 151 
			 East Wickham 220 223 209 193 183 185 168 180 190 180 177 176 
			 Erith 356 355 343 331 324 329 309 313 296 304 312 341 
			 Falconwood and Welling 195 185 176 173 175 149 158 159 154 149 160 156 
			 Lesnes Abbey 278 275 267 250 236 228 230 244 225 224 237 240 
			 Longlands 139 137 125 118 113 123 140 138 126 119 123 124 
			 North End 419 431 432 429 405 391 408 416 418 412 401 428 
			 Northumberland Heath 199 195 186 173 170 158 153 166 162 163 169 161 
			 Sidcup 153 141 139 126 126 113 119 133 127 127 108 108 
			 St Mary's 121 113 120 116 114 112 116 125 120 108 113 110 
			 St Michael's 203 201 211 193 185 189 188 195 176 155 158 161 
			 Thamesmead East 428 423 401 393 393 406 423 432 387 397 430 422 
			  Notes: 1. JSA figures are unrounded as this is the approved convention followed by ONS for this particular data source. 2. Jobseeker's allowance data are published at https://www.nomisweb.co.uk 3. Ward level figures are allocated by 2009 ward boundaries. 4. Jobseeker's allowance figures are available monthly, January 2011 are the latest data currently available.  Source: Jobseeker's allowance: Count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems (including clerically held cases). 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Disability living allowance claimants by each ward in the London borough of Bexley: each quarter August 2009 to May 2010 
			   August 2009  November 2009  February 2010  May 2010 
			 Barnehurst 375 385 395 395 
			 Belvedere 525 525 540 555 
			 Blackfen and Lamorbey 320 325 325 325 
			 Blendon and Penhill 300 310 315 320 
			 Brampton 370 380 375 375 
			 Christchurch 400 395 405 400 
			 Colyers 575 585 595 600 
			 Cray Meadows 565 570 590 590 
			 Crayford 565 585 595 610 
			 Danson Park 365 365 380 380 
			 East Wickham 475 485 490 495 
			 Erith 520 540 565 565 
			 Falconwood and Welling 310 315 320 325 
			 Lesnes Abbey 510 535 540 545 
			 Longlands 330 340 345 345 
			 North End 705 715 725 755 
			 Northumberland Heath 460 470 470 460 
			 Sidcup 290 300 300 305 
			 St Mary's 280 285 285 295 
			 St Michael's 420 430 430 435 
			 Thamesmead East 545 550 555 550 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five. 2. All data represent a snapshot in time of claimants on the computer system, and will therefore exclude a very small number of cases that are held clerically. 3. These data are published at https://www.nomisweb.co.uk 4. Disability living allowance is produced quarterly with May 2010 being the latest data. 5. Ward level figures are allocated by 2003 ward boundaries.  Source: Disability living allowance: DWP Information Directorate 100% WPLS.

Unemployment: Motherwell

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of workless households in  (a) Motherwell and Wishaw constituency and  (b) Scotland.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking what recent estimate has been made of the number and proportion of workless households in (a) Motherwell and Wishaw and (b) Scotland (41841).
	The figures requested come from the Annual Population Survey (APS) household datasets. The latest data currently available is for 2009. The attached table shows estimates for Motherwell and Wishaw constituency, and Scotland.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results. These estimates are such that there is 95 per cent certainty that from all samples possible they will lie within the lower and upper bounds.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of workless households( 1)  in Motherwell and Wishaw constituency, and Scotland 
			  Thousands 
			 January-December 2009  Estimate  Lower bound( 2)  Upper bound( 2) 
			 Motherwell and Wishaw 9 6 11 
			 Scotland 369 355 384 
			 (1) Households containing at least one person aged 16-64, where all individuals aged 16 or over are not in employment. (2) 95% confidence interval.

Unemployment: Young People

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to address trends in youth unemployment in former coalmining areas.

Chris Grayling: This Government is determined to deal with the legacy of youth unemployment. In all parts of the country our approach is to ensure that young unemployed people get the personalised help they need to find sustainable employment. Jobcentre Plus local offices will have more control to allow them to deliver in a way that is more responsive to local needs. Work Programme providers will be free to design support based on the needs of individuals and target the right support at the right time. Both Jobcentre Plus and Work Programme providers will work with local public, private, and third sector organisations where this delivers the best job outcomes for individuals.

Universal Credit

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what account his proposals for universal credit will take of the payment of benefits in respect of housing costs in circumstances where a new partner begins to live with a recipient.

Chris Grayling: Claims for universal credit will be made on the basis of households rather than individuals. Where a new partner begins to live with a recipient, both members of the couple will be required to claim universal credit. An appropriate amount will be added to the universal credit award to help meet the cost of rent or mortgage interest.

HEALTH

Abortion

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Heywood and Middleton of 8 February 2011,  Official Report, column 159W, on abortion: finance, what authority there is in legislation for clinics and hospitals providing abortions to offer women  (a) impartial advice, including written information,  (b) medical assessments and  (c) decision-making support including counselling.

Anne Milton: All independent sector abortion providers must register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), who are the health and social care regulators for England, in order to operate. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, every health and social care provider is required to meet the requirements set out in the guidance about compliance, "Essential standards of quality and safety". A copy of the guidance has been placed in the Library. Service providers, including abortion providers, must have suitable arrangements in place for obtaining and acting in accordance with, the consent of service users in relation to their care and treatment. More specifically, the "Essential standards of quality and safety", which underpins the Health and Social Care Act 2008, is clear that:
	The risks, benefits and alternative options are provided in a way that the person seeking treatment can understand. The person should also be given time to think about their decisions and be given information on how to change any decisions about treatment that have already been agreed;
	Service providers must take steps to ensure that women are protected against the risks of receiving treatment, to include medical assessment, which is inappropriate or unsafe. Any treatment provided should reflect guidance issued by the appropriate expert body such as that published by The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on the "Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion", a copy of which has already been placed in the Library, which governs good practice on abortion provision; and
	The right of the person to have an advocate to assist them in understanding their options, as part of the decision making process, should be respected. This advocate could include the use of a counsellor.
	In the national health service, hospitals are accountable through clinical governance arrangements for continuously improving the quality of their services and safeguarding high standards of care.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions the effects of trends in youth unemployment on future levels of alcohol dependency.

Anne Milton: For some people unemployment can be a factor in alcohol misuse, which if sustained over a number of years, can help to develop alcohol dependence.
	The Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions collaborate closely at both ministerial and official level. Both Departments are jointly responsible for delivering the recovery ambition set out in the Government's Drug Strategy, to help individuals, who need treatment, to overcome their dependence, to find employment and to integrate in society.

Baby Care Units

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what neonatal units there are in each strategic health authority area; how many beds each unit has; and what the address of each unit is.

Anne Milton: Information is not collected by the Department in the format requested.
	The following table shows the number of open neonatal cots for the period of the last Thursday in the month of January 2011.
	
		
			  Neonatal critical care cots (beds): Strategic health authority level data 
			  Name  Open 
			  North East Strategic Health Authority  
			 City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust 8 
			 North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 8 
			 The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 16 
			   
			  North West Strategic Health Authority  
			 Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 18 
			 Countess Of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 East Cheshire NHS Trust 1 
			 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 6 
			 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 7 
			 Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust 47 
			 Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 7 
			 Royal Bolton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 Stockport NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 9 
			 University Hospital Of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 University Hospitals Of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			   
			  Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority  
			 Airedale NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 6 
			 Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust 6 
			 Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 7 
			 Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 5 
			 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 38 
			 Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 5 
			 Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 7 
			 Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 42 
			 The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			   
			  East Midlands Strategic Health Authority  
			 Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 6 
			 Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust 5 
			 Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust 26 
			 Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 15 
			 United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust 3 
			 University Hospitals Of Leicester NHS Trust 36 
			   
			  West Midlands Strategic Health Authority  
			 Birmingham Women's NHS Foundation Trust 10 
			 Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 Heart Of England NHS Foundation Trust 5 
			 Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust 1 
			 Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust 10 
			 Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust 6 
			 The Dudley Group Of Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 18 
			 The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust 20 
			 University Hospital Of North Staffordshire NHS Trust 10 
			 University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 27 
			 Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust 2 
			 Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 6 
			   
			  East of England Strategic Health Authority  
			 Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 7 
			 Bedford Hospital NHS Trust 3 
			 Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 41 
			 Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust 3 
			 Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust 5 
			 East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust 10 
			 Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 7 
			 Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 19 
			 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust 1 
			 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 11 
			 Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust 6 
			 The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Trust 1 
			 West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust 4 
			 West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust 12 
			   
			  London Strategic Health Authority  
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust 11 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 4 
			 Baits and The London NHS Trust 24 
			 Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 34 
			 Croydon Health Services NHS Trust 4 
			 Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust 4 
			 Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust 15 
			 Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 10 
			 Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust 30 
			 King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 27 
			 Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 6 
			 Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust 6 
			 Newham University Hospital NHS Trust 2 
			 North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 3 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 5 
			 Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust 2 
			 South London Healthcare NHS Trust 3 
			 St George's Healthcare NHS Trust 39 
			 The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust 8 
			 The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 23 
			 University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 32 
			 West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 4 
			 Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust 4 
			   
			  South East Coast Strategic Health Authority  
			 Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 8 
			 Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust 23 
			 East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust 10 
			 Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 5 
			 Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust 0 
			 Medway NHS Foundation Trust 10 
			 Medway PCT 0 
			 Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 0 
			 Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 12 
			 Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust 4 
			 Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 30 
			   
			  South Central Strategic Health Authority  
			 Basingstoke and North Hampshire NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 7 
			 Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 Isle of Wight NHS PCT 2 
			 Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust 11 
			 Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 12 
			 Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust 36 
			 Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust 2 
			   
			  South West Strategic Health Authority  
			 Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 8 
			 North Bristol NHS Trust 34 
			 Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust 6 
			 Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust 7 
			 Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust 7 
			 Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust 12 
			 Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust 7 
			 Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust 25 
			  Note: Published 18 February 2011  Source: Unify2 data collection-Msitreps

Baby Care Units

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children of each age group were admitted to neonatal units in each strategic health authority area in each of the last two years.

Anne Milton: This information is not collected in the format requested.
	The following table shows numbers of babies receiving neonatal care by neonatal network provider:
	
		
			  Network provider  2008  2009 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 2,589 2,598 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 3,728 2,027 
			 Essex 1,959 1,678 
			 Greater Manchester 3,393 2,919 
			 Kent 2,166 2,029 
			 Lancashire and South Cumbria 1,467 1,247 
			 London-North Central 3,659 2,965 
			 London-North East 3,376 2,456 
			 London-North West 2,054 1,857 
			 London-South East 2,990 2,488 
			 London-South West 2,493 2,124 
			 Midlands-Central 1,295 1,464 
			 Midlands-South West 1,097 3,076 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridge 4,316 3,758 
			 North Trent 1,483 2,420 
			 Northern 1,688 2,269 
			 Peninsula-South West 2,729 2,371 
			 South Central (North) 2,835 2,411 
			 South Central (South) 3,330 2,855 
			 Staffs, Shropshire and Black Country 1,736 1,311 
			 Surrey and Sussex 3,361 3,104 
			 Trent 2,427 1,952 
			 Western 2,070 4,324 
			 Yorkshire 485 1,500 
			 Total 58,726 57,203 
			  Source: National Neonatal Audit Programme Reports, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Disability Living Allowance

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the methods of evaluating for eligibility for disability living allowance persons diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Paul Burstow: I have had several discussions with the Minister for Disabled People, Department for Work and Pensions, the hon. Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller) on the issue of disability living allowance (DLA). Following the Westminster Hall debate of 2 February 2011, I passed the specific concerns raised by the hon. Member for Redcar (Ian Swales) about DLA for those living with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis to the Minister.

CJD

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of measures taken by the  (a) blood service and  (b) NHS, excluding the blood service, to reduce the risk of transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease by blood or blood products since 1998.

Anne Milton: Since 1998 a number of measures have been introduced by the United Kingdom blood services to reduce the risk of transfusion transmitted variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vGJD). These measures include the introduction of leucodepletion (the removal of white blood cells), the importation of fresh frozen plasma for children and the deferral from donation of transfusion recipients. In addition, the use of plasma from UK donors for fractionation purposes has ceased.
	For national health service blood and transplant the highest costs associated with these measures are the estimated loss of income from the sale of plasma from UK blood donors (£325 million) and the introduction of leucodepletion (£182 million). Further measures bring the estimated total cost to £540 million since 1998, with an estimated current annual cost of approximately £40 million.
	There is no separate assessment of such costs for the NHS outside the blood service. However, synthetic (recombinant) clotting factor for the treatment of bleeding disorders, such as haemophilia, has been provided to all patients for whom it is suitable since 2005, and to those under the age of 16 since 1998, at a current annual cost of approximately £200 million.

Dentistry

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 February 2011,  Official Report, column 607W, on dentistry, on what timetable the Government will explore with the General Dental Council the potential encouragement of training institutions to look again at the development of courses for dental care professionals.

Simon Burns: We understand that the chief dental officer will be meeting the chief executive/registrar of the General Dental Council on 2 March and will ask for this matter to be included on the agenda for the meeting.

Departmental Interpreters

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for which services provided by  (a) his Department and  (b) its associated public bodies interpreters provide services in a language or languages other than English; how many interpreters are employed or subcontracted for each non-English language; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of interpretation costs incurred in the latest period for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: The information requested in respect of the Department and its arm's length bodies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The provision of interpretation and translation services by national health service bodies is a matter for local determination. Such bodies are not required to report their planned or actual spending on interpretation and translation services to the Department. When planning such services, NHS bodies should take due account of their legal duties, the composition of the communities they serve, and the needs and circumstances of their patients, service users and local populations.

Departmental Manpower

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) actual and  (b) full-time equivalent staff have left his Department's employ since May 2010.

Simon Burns: Since 31 May 2010, 160 actual staff, that is, 154 full-time equivalent staff have left the Department.

Departmental Manpower

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) actual and  (b) full-time equivalent staff his Department employed at the latest date for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: As at 31 January 2011, the number of actual civil servants working for the Department was 2,650. The full-time equivalent number of staff was 2,563.52.

Departmental Manpower

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) actual and  (b) full-time equivalent staff were employed by his Department in May 2010.

Simon Burns: As at 31 May 2010, 2,657 actual staff members were employed by the Department. The full-time equivalent number of that staff complement was 2,576.42.

Diabetes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many diabetes prevention units he has visited since 12 May 2010.

Paul Burstow: The Department is committed to the prevention of Type 2 diabetes. The NHS Health Check programme was specifically designed to help people between the ages of 40 and 74 reduce their risk of diabetes, as well as heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. The Secretary of State for Health visited a health fair in Birmingham last year where he experienced an innovative approach to the delivery of this programme.
	"Healthy Lives, Healthy People", sets out the Government's strategy for improving public health and reducing the risk factors associated with developing conditions such as Type 2 diabetes. Lifestyle behaviours such as smoking, the harmful use of alcohol, drug misuse, poor diet and nutrition, being overweight and physical inactivity are acknowledged risk factors for a number of chronic diseases and conditions including Type 2 diabetes.

Doctors: Foreign Workers

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 634-35W, on doctors: foreign workers, whether the General Medical Council submitted to his Department a copy of the legal advice it had received in respect of the registration of EU-qualified, non-UK doctors.

Anne Milton: We can confirm that the General Medical Council has shared its advice on what scope there may be for undertaking checks on the language knowledge of European economic area migrant doctors at the point of registration under Directive 2005/36/EC with the Department.

General Practitioners: Clacton

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effects of implementation of his proposals for NHS reform on GP services in Jaywick and West Clacton;
	(2)  if he will take steps to ensure that standards of GP services in Jaywick and West Clacton will be monitored.

Simon Burns: Each primary care trust (PCT) is responsible for ensuring the standards of services provided to patients under their existing contractual arrangements. From April 2012, it is proposed that all providers of primary medical care services will be required to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). In order to be registered, providers have to meet registration requirements, which set essential levels of safety and quality in the provision of care to patients. The CQC has a range of enforcement powers that it can use where providers do not meet the registration requirements.
	Under the Health and Social Care Bill currently being considered by Parliament, it is proposed that the NHS Commissioning Board will replace PCTs and become directly responsible for commissioning general practitioner (GP) services from contractors and that this will occur in April 2013. The Bill also proposes to make the NHS Commissioning Board responsible for securing continuous improvements to the quality of the services provided to patients by national health service bodies, including GP practices and therefore the board will directly monitor the standard of care and services provided by all primary medical care providers. Alongside this it is proposed that commissioning consortia must assist and support the board in securing continuous improvements in the quality of primary medical services with a view to ensuring that the board and the commissioning consortia will work together to monitor the quality of the services provided by all primary medical service providers.

Health

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has conducted research on the causes of malaise, including sleeplessness, headaches and indigestion.

Simon Burns: The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funds research on many diseases and conditions of which malaise can be a symptom.
	Details of studies supported through the NIHR clinical research network can be found on the UK Clinical Research Network portfolio database at:
	http://public.ukcrn.org.uk/search/
	Records of individual national health service supported research projects collected up to September 2007 are available on the archived national research register at:
	https://portal.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/NRRArchiveSearch.aspx

Health Services

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the effects of implementation of his proposals to disband specialised commissioning groups on the work undertaken by the South West Specialised Commissioning Group and South West Neuromuscular Network.

Paul Burstow: Subject to parliamentary approval, the National Health Service Commissioning Board will take responsibility for the commissioning of specialised services for people with rare conditions from April 2012, including those currently commissioned by the 10 Specialised Commissioning Groups (SCGs).
	The existing work programme for SCGs includes action to improve neuromuscular services.

Health Services: Older People

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what response he plans to make to the report of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman on care for elderly people published on 15 February 2011;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to prevent unacceptable standards of care from being provided to elderly patients in some NHS hospitals as identified in the report of the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman of 15 February 2011.

Paul Burstow: We have asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to implement a series of unannounced inspections led by experienced senior nurses, including matrons, who know what is and what is not good care. The findings of the inspections will be published.
	On 15 February, the chief executive of the national health service and the National Clinical Director for Older People wrote to all NHS Boards highlighting the Ombudsman's report and urging them to assure themselves that these events are not happening in their own organisations.
	The coalition Government are determined to make the NHS more patient-centred and more responsive to the people it serves. We are focusing on achieving outcomes that are among the best in the world and putting patient safety at the heart of everything the NHS does. That's why the Health Bill will create local HealthWatch organisations to give patients more power to ensure their feedback and complaints are heard and to hold their local services to account. We will be publishing a White Paper on Adult Social Care which will also focus on quality outcomes and delivering care with dignity, respect and compassion.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what process would be required to bring into use dual purpose vaccinations against genital warts and cervical cancer in place of single purpose vaccination.

Anne Milton: The purpose of the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme is to protect against cervical cancer. There are two HPV vaccines licensed in the United Kingdom-Cervarix(r) and Gardasil(r). Both provide protection against HPV strains 16 and 18 that cause over 70% of cervical cancers in the UK.
	Efficacy trials of Cervarix published in  The Lancet on 7 July 2009 show that as well as protecting against HPV type 16 and 18 that cause around 70% of cervical cancer, Cervarix also provides cross-protection against HPV types 31, 33 and 45 which are the three most common cancer-causing virus types beyond 16 and 18.  The Lancet suggests that this could translate into approximately 11-16% extra protection against cervical cancer(1).
	Gardasil also protects against HPV strains 6 and 11 that can cause genital warts.
	Following a tendering process in 2008, a three-year contract was awarded to GlaxoSmithKline for Cervarix(r) in 2008. This contract is due to come to an end this year and the process for retendering the contract has begun.
	In order to select which vaccine to purchase and use, the Department follows European Union procurement legislation and uses a rigorous process for the selection. The tender documents will be finalised soon and an advert will be placed across Europe to invite tenders from vaccine manufacturers.
	(1) Paavonen J, Naud P, Salmeron J et al. (2009) Efficacy of human papillomavirus (HPV)-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine against cervical infection and precancer caused by oncogenic HPV types (PATRICIA): final analysis of a double-blind, randomised study in young women. Lancet 374(9686): 301-14.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the number of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries whose health services use dual purpose vaccines against genital warts and cervical cancer.

Anne Milton: The Department does not hold information on the number of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries whose health services use Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines that offer protection against both genital warts and cervical cancer.
	Information from the World Health Organization and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control shows that the following countries use HPV vaccines:
	Lesotho, Uganda, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Saint Lucia, United States of America, Iraq, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Bhutan, Australia, Fiji, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Palau.
	Of these countries, France, Ireland and Australia are known to preferentially use the vaccine that offers protection against both genital warts and cervical cancer. However, this may not be an exhaustive list.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will estimate the cost to the NHS of providing  (a) single purpose and  (b) dual purpose vaccination products for cervical cancer;
	(2)  if he will estimate the  (a) direct and  (b) indirect (i) costs and (ii) savings to the NHS of using (A) single purpose and (B) dual purpose immunisations for cervical cancer;
	(3)  what advice the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has provided on the relative merits of single purpose and dual purpose vaccination to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer and genital warts;
	(4)  what process was used to assess the relative economic merits of types of vaccination for genital warts and cervical cancer.

Anne Milton: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) considered the expected cost-benefits from a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme against cervical cancer, which included assessment of the impact of vaccination on genital warts. A summary of the evidence considered is set out in the JCVI statement on HPV vaccines published in the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@ab/documents/digitalasset/dh_094739.pdf
	A copy of the JCVI statement has already been placed in the Library.
	The economic evaluation used by the JCVI was published in the  British Medical Journal in July 2008 and is available at:
	www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.a769.full
	The cost of the HPV vaccine procured by the Department for the national health service vaccination programme is commercially confidential. Financial savings made in the procurement of Cervarix HPV vaccine meant the catch-up vaccination programme could be extended to offer the vaccine to an extra 300,000 girls. The Department provides HPV vaccine to the NHS free of charge for use in the childhood immunisation programme. The cost of administering the HPV programme was estimated to be the same regardless of which vaccine was used.
	Following a tendering process in 2008, a three year contract was awarded to GlaxoSmithKline for Cevarix in 2008. This contract is due to come to an end this year and the process for re-tendering the contract has begun.

Hyperactivity: Warwickshire

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in Warwickshire have been prescribed Ritalin for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Burstow: This information is not collected centrally.

Kidneys: Transplant Surgery

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many kidney transplants took place in each hospital trust in the South West region in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton: The following tables show the numbers of kidney transplants in each hospital trust in the South West in each of the last five years by donor type (deceased and living) and by year (2006-10).
	
		
			  Bristol Southmead hospital (North Bristol national health service trust) 2006-10 
			  Donor  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010  Total 
			 Deceased 75 69 60 71 78 353 
			 Living 36 42 38 43 41 200 
			 Total 111 111 98 114 119 553 
		
	
	
		
			  Plymouth Derriford hospital (Plymouth hospitals NHS trust) 2006-10 
			  Donor  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010  Total 
			 Deceased 35 41 56 56 29 217 
			 Living 18 17 19 19 11 84 
			 Total 53 58 75 75 40 301 
			  Source: NHS Blood and Transplant UK Transplant Registry

Maternity Services

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to require maternity networks to work with local maternity service liaison committees.

Anne Milton: The White Paper "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS", set out proposals to evolve Local Involvement Networks into local HealthWatch organisations. HealthWatch will ensure that the views of patients, service users and the public are represented to commissioners. In developing and designing maternity services, it is important that the views and experiences of women remain at the heart of commissioning and their voices are heard locally. It will be for local HealthWatch to decide how to build on the best practice of Maternity Service Liaison Committees to ensure a strong voice for women and their families in the planning and delivery of maternity and newborn services.

Maternity Services

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which maternity networks have been established since the date of publication of the NHS White Paper.

Anne Milton: The information is not collected by the Department. We are aware that in September 2010 the West Midlands Perinatal Network was launched and that the East of England are in the process of developing a clinical maternity and newborn network.

Maternity Services: Finance

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much the budget for maternity care in the NHS was in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2006; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy to prioritise the funding of maternity services within the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Government are committed to the provision of safe and quality maternity services, founded on evidence based good practice, and focused on improving both outcomes for women and babies and women's experience of care. We have highlighted maternity services as a priority for the national health service in both the NHS Operating Framework and the NHS Outcomes Framework for 2011-12. It is for the NHS to decide locally how best to deliver on national and local priorities in the light of their local circumstances.
	Figures for expenditure on commissioning of secondary health care in respect of maternity are as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 1996-97 1,020 
			 2005-06 l,672 
			  Notes: 1. The figures are taken from the Summarised Account of the Health Authorities (1996-97) and the Summarised Account of Primary Care Trusts (2005-06). 2. Secondary Care covers medical treatment or surgery that patients receive in hospital following a referral from a general practitioner (GP). Secondary care is made up of national health service, foundation, ambulance, children's and mental health trusts. www.dh.gov.uk/en/Aboutus/HowDHworks/DH_074637

Midwives: Manpower

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives were employed by the NHS in each year between 1997 and 2006; how many of those were employed in managerial grades in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The annual NHS Workforce Census does not identify manager grades in midwifery. The following tables give the number of midwives employed in the years requested.
	
		
			  Table 1: NHS Hospital and Community Health Services: Nursing, Midwifery, Health Visiting staff and support staff by type 1997 to 2006, England as at 30 September each year 
			  Headcount 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Total nursing, midwifery, health visiting staff and support staff 541,179 549,129 560,641 574,096 602,513 633,818 663,444 679,001 691,698 665,636 
			 Registered midwife 22,385 22,841 22,799 22,572 23,075 23,249 23,941 24,844 24,808 24,469 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: NHS Hospital and Community Health Services: Nursing, Midwifery, Health Visiting staff and support staff by type 1997 to 2006, England as at 30 September each year 
			  Full-time equivalent 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Total nursing, midwifery, health visiting staff and support staff 427,077 431,980 440,055 451,005 471,999 495,602 518,880 533,529 545,633 535,530 
			 Registered midwife 18,053 18,168 17,876 17,662 18,048 18,119 18,444 18,854 18,949 18,862 
			  Note: Enhanced validation processes have led to the removal of duplicate records from the non-medical census (from 2006 onwards). Although percentages were small (less than 1%), comparisons with years prior to this need to be treated with caution. This only effects headcount.

MRSA: Screening

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on licensing for use in the NHS of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory's product BacLite to screen against the MRSA bacterium.

Simon Burns: Any diagnostic test of this type should be CE marked by the manufacturer according to the safety, quality and performance requirements of the In Vitro Diagnostic Devices Directive (transposed in to United Kingdom law by the Medical Devices Regulations 2002) before they are placed on the UK market. Under the directive, national regulatory authorities, who in the UK are the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, are not directly involved in the pre-market conformity assessment process for such tests and therefore hold no information on the product's current approval status.

MRSA: Screening

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve methods of screening against the MRSA bacterium; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: A variety of methods are available to national health service trusts to screen against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Individual trusts make their own decisions on which tests or combinations of tests to use depending on their clinical case mix and workload. The local clinical need will determine test selection. Rapid and more sensitive methods have been available to the NHS for a number of years and trusts make their own decisions on matching the technologies to their service needs.
	In 2004, as part of the Department's commitment to ensuring the NHS has access to effective infection prevention and control technologies, it has asked the Health Protection Agency to convene the Rapid Review Panel (RRP). This provides a prompt assessment of new and novel equipment, materials and other products or protocols that may be of value to the NHS and social care in the prevention and control of hospital associated infections.

NHS: Buildings

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many structures he estimates the NHS will build using prefabricated or flatpack buildings in 2010-11.

Simon Burns: The Department does not collect centrally the information requested. National health service organisations locally will utilise the construction methods they consider appropriate to build their facilities, which may include prefabricated or flat pack buildings.

NHS: Finance

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress his Department has made on tackling barriers between health and social care funding in order to incentivise preventative action.

Paul Burstow: As part of the spending review, national health service funding rising to £1 billion per annum by 2014-15 will be spent on measures that support social care and also benefit health. The "Operating Framework for the NHS in England for 2011-12" sets out that primary care trusts (PCTs) will need to transfer this funding to local authorities to invest in social care services to benefit health, and to improve overall health gain. The Department has also made available an extra £162 million from efficiency savings this financial year for local health and care services. The money should be spent on helping people to leave hospital more quickly, re-ablement and the prevention of unnecessary admissions to hospital.
	At the local level, the NHS and local authorities should work together to improve the health and wellbeing of their local populations. As outlined in the Operating Framework 2011-12, NHS organisations should be working with partners on implementing the National Dementia Strategy. Moreover, the Carers' Strategy also identified that £400 million will be made available for carers' breaks over the next four years (2011-12 to 2014-15) and required that PCTs should agree policies, plans and budgets to support carers with local authorities and local carers' organisations.
	Supporting people to live independently at home following hospital discharge sits at the interface between health and social care and relies on effective discharge planning, access to re-ablement services and both systems working in the interests of the individual. To underpin this, the Department will amend the 'Payment by Results' tariff from April 2012 so that the NHS pays for re-ablement and other post discharge services for 30 days after a patient leaves hospital. From April 2011, trusts will not be reimbursed for unnecessary re-admissions.
	To prepare for the changes to the 'Payment by Results' tariff, we have allocated £70 million in 2010-11 for PCTs to spend on re-ablement. This has been further supported by the spending review with £300 million of the £1 billion NHS support for social care being made available for re-ablement services by 2014-15.
	The Health and Social Care Bill (subject to parliamentary approval) outlines how the Government will seek to encourage joined up working. The Bill stipulates that local authorities would take a key role in joining up local NHS services, social care and health improvement via the Health and Wellbeing Boards. A relevant commissioning consortium must co-operate with the Health and Wellbeing Board in the exercise of the functions of the Board.
	Additionally, Health and Wellbeing Boards will have a statutory duty to produce Joint Strategic Needs Assessments and have regard to these in developing a Health and Wellbeing Strategy for their local area. Alongside this, the NHS Commissioning Board must, for the purpose of advancing the health and wellbeing of the people of England, exercise its functions with a view to encouraging commissioning consortia to work closely with local authorities in commissioning local services. To support the creation of effective quality standards the remit of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence will be extended to social care.

Organs: Donors

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will publish an updated strategy on organ donation and transplantation;
	(2)  for what reasons the Organ Donation Taskforce Programme Delivery Board has been disbanded; and who will be responsible for increasing organ donation and transplantation following the final meeting of the Board.

Anne Milton: We have no plans to publish an updated strategy on organ donation and transplantation. We are currently in the third year of a five year implementation programme to increase organ donation rates by 50% by 2013.
	The Organ Donation Taskforce Programme Delivery Board was established in July 2008 to oversee the implementation of the Organ Donation Taskforce recommendations published in January 2008. The board noted at their final meeting in January 2011 that organ donor rates had increased by 25% since the implementation process began and agreed that the taskforce recommendations, largely, had been implemented. The board also agreed that the focus in the future should be on ensuring that the new infrastructure and support mechanisms, developed under the board's leadership, become embedded as a usual part of healthcare.
	This will be achieved through a variety of means including through the clinical leads for organ donation, donation committees and donation chairs in acute trusts driving improvement locally; and ongoing work to raise the profile and benefits of organ donation and transplantation with the national health service, professional groups and with the public.
	Leadership will continue to be provided through the Department's national clinical director for transplantation, the Organ Donor Organisation within NHS Blood and Transplant and the relevant professional bodies.

Out of Area Treatment: Wales

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in the Welsh Assembly Government on the effect of reconfiguration of NHS services in Shropshire on Welsh patients.

Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Health has had no recent discussions with Ministers in the Welsh Assembly Government on the effect of reconfiguration of national health services in Shropshire on Welsh patients.

Out of Area Treatment: Wales

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last discussed the provision of cross-border health services with Ministers in the Welsh Assembly Government.

Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Health met Ministers of the Welsh Assembly Government on 1 December 2010 and wrote to the Minister of Health and Social Security for the Welsh Assembly Government following the meeting to say that Departmental officials remained committed to agreeing an appropriate level of financial transfer to the Welsh Assembly Government arising from issues around national tariff rates and how these are applied to Wales.
	The cross-border commissioning protocol is due to expire on 31 March 2011 and officials from the Department are also in discussion with the Welsh Assembly Government with the intention of renewing the protocol, to run seamlessly from 1 April 2011. Until the forthcoming changes to the manner in which healthcare in England is commissioned are finalised in the Health and Social Care Bill, currently going through Parliament, the intention is that no substantial changes to the cross-border protocol should be introduced. For this reason, the protocol is expected to be renewed for just one year.

Out of Area Treatment: Wales

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies were born in the Royal Shrewsbury hospital to mothers resident in Wales in each of the last two years for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many births there were at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital to women resident in Wales for the last two years for which data is available.
	Figures for live births by hospital have been compiled from birth registration data. Information on place of birth is provided by the informant at registration rather than by the hospitals themselves.
	
		
			  Live births occurring in Royal Shrewsbury Hospital to women usually resident in Wales, 2008 and 2009 
			  Royal Shrewsbury Hospital  Number 
			 2008 407 
			 2009 387

Out of Area Treatment: Wales

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged under 16 years who were resident in Wales were kept overnight in the Royal Shrewsbury hospital in each of the last two years for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table, which sets out the finished consultant episodes (FCEs) for Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust where the patient is under 16, a resident of Wales and the duration of stay was one day or longer for 2008-9 and 2009-10.
	
		
			   FCEs 
			 2008-09 571 
			 2009-10 572 
			  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

School Milk

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has for the future of the free nursery milk provision for the under fives.

Anne Milton: There are no plans to end the nursery milk scheme.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number and proportion of initial false positive cervical smears associated with genital warts in the latest period for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: This information is not held centrally. Although national health service cancer screening programmes collect statistics on false positive cervical smear results, genital warts are not reliably indicated by a false positive result.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will estimate the proportion of the work of sexual health practitioners associated with treatment of genital warts in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  if he will estimate the average cost of a hospital consultation to treat a case of genital warts.

Anne Milton: No such estimate has been made because the cost to the national health service of treating individual diagnoses and the workload associated with them is not collected centrally.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of people infected each year by any genital wart virus by five year age cohorts.

Anne Milton: The number of diagnoses of genital warts (first episode) in genitourinary medicine clinics (GUM) clinics in England by age groups and years 1995 to 2009, the latest date for which figures are available, are given in the following table.
	
		
			   Genital warts: first episode  
			   Age-group   Genital warts: recurrence 
			   <15  15-19  20-24  25-34  35-44  45-64  65+  Total  Total 
			 1995 195 8,367 17,781 17,270 4,603 2,108 143 50,467 38,890 
			 1996 181 9,414 18,692 18,020 4,909 2,136 153 53,875 41,115 
			 1997 190 10,453 20,012 19,444 5,138 2,317 140 57,852 44,219 
			 1998 171 11,115 19,562 19,824 5,523 2,383 152 58,793 46,816 
			 1999 206 11,273 19,943 19,795 5,791 2,589 200 60,252 47,414 
			 2000 153 11,144 20,029 19,216 6,047 2,500 196 59,758 47,078 
			 2001 143 11,383 20,625 19,756 6,600 2,702 203 61,505 47,055 
			 2002 155 11,518 21,177 19,885 7,097 2,754 183 62,982 45,480 
			 2003 155 12,192 21,893 19,689 7,207 2,986 188 64,319 45,995 
			 2004 146 13,220 23,049 19,977 7,518 3,108 212 67,251 46,227 
			 2005 139 13,490 23,532 20,014 7,305 3,171 189 67,852 48,747 
			 2006 138 14,225 24,129 20,157 7,478 3,358 210 69,700 51,368 
			 2007 153 15,653 25,814 21,593 7,926 3,632 272 75,272 55,517 
			 2008 149 16,364 27,109 22,141 7,959 4,109 313 78,156 57,732 
			 2009 177 15,947 26,934 22,387 8,213 4,307 307 78,274 62,230 
			  Notes: 1. Data by age-group are only available for the groups presented. 2. Data on unknown gender and age-group are included in the Total row for 2009 data. 3. The data available from the KC60 (2008 and earlier) and GUMCAD (2009 onwards) returns are for diagnoses made in GUM) clinics only. A recent study (pending publication) of genital warts cases (first and recurrence) seen in GUM clinics and in General Practice in 2008 has found most cases seen in General Practice were referred on to GUM clinics and estimated that only around 5%, of cases were seen in General Practice only, i.e. figures in table 1 may represent up to 95%, of cases. 4. The data available from the KC60 and GUMCAD returns are the number of diagnoses made, not the number of patients diagnosed. 5. The information provided is based on reported data from GUM clinics in England that has been adjusted for missing clinic data. 6. Data are unavailable for 2010.  Source: Health Protection Agency, KC60 and Genitourinary Medicine Clinic Activity Dataset (GUMCAD) returns.

Tuberculosis

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the incidence of TB in England was in each of the last 10 years; and in which groups such incidence was highest.

Anne Milton: Data on the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in England in each of the last 10 years are provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Rate of tuberculosis cases reported in England, 2000-2009 
			   Rate per 100,000 
			 2000 12.4 
			 2001 12.7 
			 2002 13.3 
			 2003 13.3 
			 2004 13.9 
			 2005 15.2 
			 2006 15.2 
			 2007 14.9 
			 2008 15.4 
			 2009 16.0 
			  Source: Health Protection Agency (HPA) 
		
	
	In each of the last 10 years, TB incidence was highest among the non-United Kingdom born people(1).
	The Health Protection Agency did not collect data on other risk factors for TB until recently, and data on these are not yet available.
	(1) Place of birth should not be confused with citizenship or residence status.

Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what funding his Department has provided for the development of a successor to the BCG vaccine in each of the last five years;
	(2)  which product development partnerships are undertaking work to develop a successor to the BCG vaccine.

Anne Milton: The funding provided by the Department to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) for projects relating to tuberculosis (TB) vaccine development is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Funding to the HPA for projects relating to TB vaccine development 
			   £000 
			 2006-07 657 
			 2007-08 1,645 
			 2008-09 1,455 
			 2009-10 1,009 
			 2010-11 1,210 
		
	
	HPA Porton has the largest TB preclinical vaccine development capability in Europe and performs critical preclinical head-to-head comparisons of the efficacy of new TB vaccines and delivery systems. These studies inform the selection of vaccines for subsequent clinical trials.
	There are numerous TB vaccine development partnerships worldwide. The HPA has TB vaccine development partnerships with the following organisations:
	Discovery and preclinical development of new generation tuberculosis vaccines (NEWTBVAC), a European Commission 7th Framework programme;
	The European TB Vaccine Initiative (TBVI), a non-profit foundation; and
	AERAS Global TB Vaccine Foundation.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Arms Trade Treaty

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the merits of including dual-use technologies on the list of equipment to be regulated by the Arms Trade Treaty.

Alistair Burt: The UK is committed to securing a robust and effective Arms Trade Treaty and will continue to play a lead role in the UN process. Negotiations are ongoing in the run up to the critical UN Negotiating Conference in 2012. It would not be appropriate for me to speculate about the scope of an Arms Trade Treaty at this time. We maintain a dialogue with the Parliamentary Committees on Arms Export Controls on the Arms Trade Treaty, most recently when I gave Oral evidence to the Committees on 24 January 2011.

Arms Trade Treaty

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether officials from his Department will attend the July 2011 negotiations at the UN on implementation mechanisms for the Arms Trade Treaty.

Alistair Burt: We are committed to securing a robust and effective Arms Trade Treaty and to continuing to play a lead role in the UN process. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as the lead Government Department, head and lead the UK delegation, and has played a full and active role in the UN negotiations to date. This will continue later this month and in July, culminating in the UN Negotiating Conference in 2012.

Arms Trade Treaty

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the likely effects of the Arms Trade Treaty on the UK's capacity to export security and defence equipment.

Alistair Burt: The UK already operates one of the strongest export control systems in the world, and is fully committed to securing a robust and effective Arms Trade Treaty that raises international standards and helps create a level playing field for the legitimate defence industry. This actively supports the Government's prosperity agenda by helping to make British industry more competitive. Hence the Government and the UK defence industry have a close working relationship on the Arms Trade Treaty, with industry representation on the wider UK Arms Trade Treaty team, and they are fully supportive of UK efforts to secure the Treaty.

Arms Trade Treaty

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the defence industry on negotiations over the Arms Trade Treaty.

Alistair Burt: The Government are working closely with a wide range of partners, including the UK defence industry, to secure a robust and effective Arms Trade Treaty. A UK defence industry representative is part of the UK's wider Arms Trade Treaty team, and defence industry representatives have attended UK technical meetings on the Arms Trade Treaty to help inform the UK's position ahead of the next UN Preparatory Committee meeting starting in New York on 28 February 2011.

Bangladesh: Military Aid

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what training and assistance British security services have provided to Bangladeshi security forces in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's assistance to Bangladesh's security forces over the last 12 months has focused on the provision of human rights and ethical policing skills training to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
	Funded through our Counter Terrorism and Radicalisation Programme and delivered by the National Policing Improvements Agency, the project is aimed at improving RAB's ability to conduct operations in a human rights compliant manner. Over the last 12 months this training was given to senior RAB investigators focusing on the strategic, operational and tactical intelligence cycle with lessons learned from key court rulings; a Train the Trainer programme to ensure that RAB can deliver a first responders' course and cascade their training through their battalions, and training in operational judgments and procedures that comply with modern police standards.

BBC World Service: Finance

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the likely job losses resulting from the changes to the Grant-in-Aid funding to the BBC World Service for  (a) Albanian,  (b) Macedonian,  (c) Portuguese for Africa,  (d) Serbian and  (e) English for the Caribbean services.

Jeremy Browne: According to the BBC World Service, the current number of people employed on these language services is:
	Albanian: 23
	Macedonian: 10
	Portuguese for Africa: 12
	Serbian: 21
	English for the Caribbean: 6.
	Any decisions about possible redeployment of staff would be made by the BBC World Service.

Egypt: Freedom of Circulation

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Egyptian government on its military's approach to freedom of movement within Egypt.

Alistair Burt: holding answer 28 February 2011
	A state of emergency has existed in Egypt since 1981 which allows for unwarranted derogation of some of Egypt's international human rights obligations. The Foreign Secretary, in his statement to the House on 14 February,  Official Report, columns 714-6, called for steps to end the state of emergency. On 21 February, the Prime Minister visited Egypt. He met Field Marshall Mohammed Tantawi and raised the issue of when the state of emergency would be lifted.
	Throughout the recent protests in Egypt, we lobbied the Egyptian authorities at the highest level to avoid repression of the protestors, who were exercising their right to freedom of expression. We were deeply concerned by measures taken by the Egyptian authorities to prevent the protests by shutting down mobile phone networks and urged them to lift the restrictions immediately, and we raised our concerns about treatment of journalists and human rights activists.

Egypt: Press Freedom

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the independence of the media in Egypt.

Alistair Burt: holding answer 28 February 2011
	We have previously raised our concerns about freedom of expression in Egypt with the Egyptian Government, including on media restrictions in the run up to the parliamentary elections held in November and December 2010. At the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review in June 2010 we called on Egypt to amend its penal code to ensure freedom of expression for journalists, publishers and bloggers.
	We condemned the measures taken by the Egyptian authorities to prevent the protests and demonstrations in Egypt during January and February this year by shutting down mobile phone networks and the internet. We expressed our strong concerns to the Egyptian authorities about the mistreatment of journalists. Freedom of expression, including freedom of the media, is fundamental to building a democratic society and we will continue to monitor the situation in Egypt closely.

Holocaust: Anniversaries

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to mark the 70th anniversary of the UN declaration of 17 December 1942 on the circumstances of Jewish people in Europe; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alistair Burt: I refer my hon. Friend to the response the Minister of State, my noble Friend, the right hon. Lord Howell, gave in the other place on 10 January 2011,  Official Report,  House of Lords, column WA396.

Judaism: Festivals and Special Occasions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 December 2010,  Official Report, column 639W, on Judaism: festivals and special occasions, who drafted his Chanukah message to the Jewish community; if he will reconsider his decision not to publish this message in the  Official Report; on what basis the decision was taken; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alistair Burt: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 14 December 2010,  Official Report, column 639W.
	Messages of greeting are published on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website and on the websites of relevant embassies.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to prevent the flow of arms and funding from Iran to organisations opposed to the State of Israel. [R]

Alistair Burt: We have longstanding concerns about Iranian support to groups which espouse violence in the middle east, including those who oppose the state of Israel. We take seriously Israel's legitimate security concerns and regularly raise this issue with senior political leaders in the region.
	Most recently, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised arms transfers to Hezbollah with President Assad when he visited Syria on 27 January 2011.
	Iran must stop attempting to exploit regional challenges for its own means. We will continue to push for full implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions which call for the disarmament of these armed groups and prohibit weapons transfers and give our full support to the UN sanctions committees pursuing and investigating sanctions violations.

Overseas Aid

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of his Department's programme expenditure was allocated to  (a) bilateral and  (b) multilateral programmes in each year from 2005-06 to 2011-12.

William Hague: The actual Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) programme expenditure on bilateral and multilateral programmes in each year from 2005-06 to 2009-10 is shown in the table. The figures for 2010-11 and 2011-12 are forecasts based on allocated budgets:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Bilateral  Multilateral  Total 
			 2005-06 13.3 131.0 144.3 
			 2006-07 24.3 103.7 128.0 
			 2007-08 22.4 102.6 125.0 
			 2008-09 26.7 111.0 137.7 
			 2009-10 28.2 108.8 137.0 
			 2010-11 11.6 111.0 122.6 
			 2011-12 19.0 120.5 139.5 
		
	
	The figures cover FCO discretionary policy programmes.

JUSTICE

Bribery Act 2010

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2011,  Official Report, column 401W, on the Bribery Act 2010, if he will publish the further representations he has received during the consultation process since the publication of the impact assessment in 2009 on the Bribery Bill.

Jonathan Djanogly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke) to the hon. Member for Northampton South (Mr Binley) on 14 February 2011,  Official Report, column 577W.

Courts: Closures

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the potential total receipts from the disposal of the magistrates courts and county courts announced on 14 December 2010;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the annual savings to accrue from ceasing the requirement to maintain the magistrates courts and county courts identified for closure in his announcement on 14 December 2010;
	(3)  what estimate his Department has made of the savings to accrue from the closure of the magistrates courts and county courts identified for closure in his announcement of 14 December 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: Gross savings from the closure of the courts announced on 14 December 2010 are estimated to be in the region of £41.5 million over the spending review period. The resource cost of closures are currently being reviewed as part of implementation planning. It is hoped that £38.5 million will be received from the sale of assets.
	Ceasing the requirement to maintain the court buildings does not entail savings, per se, as this is not money that would necessarily be spent were a building to be retained. Rather, there will be substantial cost avoidance from not needing to maintain the buildings that are disposed of. The £41.5 million of estimated gross savings does not therefore include any savings associated with reductions in maintenance costs.

Departmental Buildings

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the running costs in each category were for each of the central London buildings operated by his Department in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what progress he has made on the proposed reduction in the number of his Department's properties in central London; and what estimate he has made of the likely savings to accrue from the reduction.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ), including executive agencies and arm's length bodies, currently operates 13 central London headquarters administrative buildings in addition to prison and court properties. The following table shows 2009-10 property costs for the three headquarters administrative buildings in central London for which costs are managed centrally.
	
		
			  Building/Category  Total (£ million) 
			  MoJ headquarters, 102 Petty France  
			 Property rent and rates 19.7 
			 Maintenance 2.8 
			 Other property costs 3.0 
			 Fuel and utilities 1.3 
			 Charges on leased assets 12.4 
			 Total 39.2 
			   
			  5( th)  Floor, 30 Millbank  
			 Property rent and rates 0.4 
			 Maintenance 0.2 
			 Other property costs 0.1 
			 Total 0.7 
			   
			  Clive House, 70 Petty France( 1)  
			 Property rent and rates 5.2 
			 Maintenance 0.9 
			 Other property costs 0.3 
			 Fuel and utilities 0.2 
			 Total 6.6 
			 (1) Vacant during works to refit as National Offender Management Service headquarters-May 2009 to June 2010. 
		
	
	In 2007, the Department began a programme to improve the usage of its administrative estate. Between then and February 2011, the MoJ has reduced the number of central London headquarters administrative properties by nine. The estimated saving during this period is £22.5 million a year (Resource Department Expenditure Limit), including depreciation. In addition to the annual resource savings, the Department sold two freehold buildings in central London for £67 million in 2010 (Capital receipt).
	By 2015, the MoJ is planning to reduce the number of headquarters administrative properties in central London to four; reduce workstations from around 8,000 to around 4,000 through flexible work space and reduce the operational costs by £47 million a year.

Departmental Conditions of Employment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of his Department's adherence to each of the principles of good employment practice set out in the Cabinet Office publication Principles of Good Employment Practice.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice is fully committed to supporting the principles and will work with suppliers to apply the principles where appropriate. However since the principles were only recently launched on 13 December 2010 it is too early to be able to give a more detailed assessment at this stage.
	The impact of these principles on employment practice will be reviewed by the Public Services Forum in January 2012. The forum will assess how the principles contribute to good employment practices in the delivery of contracted out services.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) administrative and  (b) front line efficiency savings his Department plans to make in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2013-14.

Kenneth Clarke: I will address 2014-15 in addition to the years quoted in the question, because departmental plans encompass the full spending review period.
	The Ministry of Justice will make savings of 33% in real terms from its administrative budget by the end of the spending review period. Departmental administration budgets for the period were published in spending review 2010, and the Ministry of Justice's allocations are as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Baseline( 1)  Allocation 
			   2010-11  2011-12  2012-13  2013-14  2014-15 
			 Administration budget(1) 704 655 606 561 517 
			 (1)Administration budgets have been expanded to include arm's length bodies and this is reflected in increased 2010-11 baselines compared to 2010-11 outturn. 
		
	
	In 2014-15, the Department will make estimated total efficiency savings of around £1 billion. This figure includes savings against front line operations, 'support for delivery' functions and administrative spend. Savings plans for individual years in the spending review period are currently being developed.

Departmental Interpreters

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for which services provided by  (a) his Department and  (b) its associated public bodies interpreters provide services in a language or languages other than English; how many interpreters are employed or subcontracted for each non-English language; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of interpretation costs incurred in the latest period for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: Interpretation and translation services in relation to the Ministry of Justice are provided by Her Majesty's Courts Service, the Legal Services Commission, the National Offender Management Service, the Tribunal Service and the Office of the Public Guardian to:
	Defendants in criminal cases
	Defence witnesses in criminal cases (interpretation services for prosecution witnesses are provided by the prosecutor)
	Offenders serving a custodial or community sentence
	Claimants in tribunal cases
	Parties to civil and family proceedings
	Those who lack the capacity to make financial or health-related decisions for themselves.
	The Department uses the services of freelance and agency interpreters and translators who are booked for individual assignments. Information is not held centrally on the number of bookings made and the languages required for those bookings. Estimated annual spend across the Department is in the region of £30 million for foreign language interpretation and translation and for language services for the deaf and deafblind. A project is under way to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the arrangements across the whole of the justice system, including interpretation and translation services provided by the police.

Departmental Manpower

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) actual and  (b) full-time equivalent staff have left his Department's employ since May 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: From 7 May 2010 to 30 September 2010, the date of the latest published data, 2,227 members of staff and 2,032.54 full-time equivalent staff left the Ministry of Justice. These figures only include paid staff who leave the Department and do not include staff who are off pay and have left-eg. those who are on career breaks and subsequently resign.
	Ministry of Justice figures include MoJ Headquarters, the National Offender Management Service, Her Majesty's Courts Service, the Tribunals Service, the Office of the Public Guardian, Wales Office, and Scotland Office (including Scotland Office and Advocate General for Scotland staff on Scottish Government systems).

Departmental Manpower

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) actual and  (b) full-time equivalent staff his Department employed at the latest date for which figures are available.

Jonathan Djanogly: The latest published headcount data for the Ministry of Justice is as at 30 September 2010. At that date 78,013 members of staff and 73,483.75 full-time equivalent staff were employed by the Ministry of Justice.
	Ministry of Justice figures include MoJ headquarters, the National Offender Management Service, Her Majesty's Courts Service, the Tribunals Service, the Office of the Public Guardian, Wales Office, and Scotland Office (including Scotland Office and Advocate-General for Scotland staff on Scottish Government systems).

Departmental Manpower

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) actual and  (b) full-time equivalent staff were employed by his Department in May 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: As at 31 May 2010 78,537 members of staff and 74,064.45 full-time equivalent staff were employed by the Ministry of Justice.
	Ministry of Justice figures include MoJ Headquarters, the National Offender Management Service, Her Majesty's Courts Service, the Tribunals Service, the Office of the Public Guardian, Wales Office, and Scotland Office (including Scotland Office and Advocate General for Scotland staff on Scottish Government systems).

Departmental Redundancy

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate his Department has made of the redundancy costs attributable to his proposals for reductions in posts in his Department in the next four years.

Kenneth Clarke: My Department have made no estimate for the cost of redundancy at this stage as the focus has been on completing planning for the spending review, and making reductions through a swift, MoJ-wide voluntary early departure scheme. The scheme was open to all staff that are not in front line roles.
	The proposals for reductions include voluntary early departure schemes, use of any natural attrition, redeployment and career transition services to ensure there are as few redundancies as possible.
	My Department's response to the spending review marks the beginning of a programme of radical change which will fundamentally reform the way justice is provided by 2015. I am confident that the process will lead to a transformed Ministry of Justice which is lean, transparent, and affordable.

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what regulations his Department introduced between 18 November 2010 and 8 February 2011;
	(2)  what regulations his Department removed between 18 November 2010 and 8 February 2011.

Jonathan Djanogly: The only statutory instrument which the Ministry of Justice has laid in Parliament between 18 November 2010 and 8 February 2011 which has regulatory impact is the Legal Services Act 2007 (Levy) (No2) Rules 2010.
	No statutory instrument laid between the period above removed regulations that have regulatory impact.

Drugs: Convictions

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of convictions for drug-related offences resulted in a prison sentence in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2009 (i) nationally, (ii) in Sussex and (iii) in Brighton and Hove.

Crispin Blunt: Convictions for drug-related offences and the proportion that resulted in immediate custodial sentence, by court type, and area for 2007-09 (latest available) is shown in tables 1 and 2.
	Table 1 provides magistrates courts data for the Sussex police force area, Sussex Central local justice area (in which Brighton and Hove magistrates court is located) and England and Wales.
	Table 2 gives data for the Crown courts in the Sussex police force area and England and Wales. There is no specific Crown court that deals with the Brighton and Hove area. Therefore information for all Crown courts dealing with cases from Sussex police force have been provided.
	Information for Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the Scottish Executive and Northern Ireland Office respectively.
	
		
			  Table 1: Defendants found guilty of drug offences at magistrates courts and sentenced, by area, for 2007-09( 1, 2) 
			  Found guilty/sentence/area  2007  2008( 3)  2009 
			  Sussex police force area
			 Found guilty 815 875 958 
			 Sentenced 680 781 886 
			  Of which given:
			 Immediate custody 19 25 30 
			 Other sentence(4) 661 756 856 
			 Proportion of those sentenced who were given immediate custody (%) 3 3 3 
			 
			  Sussex (Central)
			 Found guilty 230 279 266 
			 Sentenced 204 245 238 
			  Of which given:
			 Immediate custody 5 14 4 
			 Other sentence(4) 199 231 234 
			 Proportion of those sentenced who were given immediate custody (%) 2 6 2 
			 
			  England and Wales
			 Found guilty 35,710 42,512 45,577 
			 Sentenced 33,098 39,710 42,967 
			  Of which given:
			 Immediate custody 1,178 1,293 1,042 
			 Other sentence(4) 31,920 38,417 41,925 
			 Proportion of those sentenced who were given immediate custody (%) 4 3 2 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (4) Includes: absolute/conditional discharge, fine, community sentence, suspended sentence and otherwise dealt with.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services: Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Defendants found guilty of drug offences at Crown court and sentenced, by area, for 2007-09( 1, 2) 
			  Found guilty/sentence/area  2007  2008  2009 
			  Sussex police force area
			 Found guilty 326 395 462 
			 Sentenced 448 486 529 
			  Of which given:
			 Immediate custody 308 316 366 
			 Other sentence(3) 140 170 163 
			 Proportion of those sentenced who were given immediate custody (%) 69 65 69 
			 
			  England and Wales
			 Found guilty 8,855 10,431 11,216 
			 Sentenced 11,402 13,201 13,653 
			  Of which given:
			 Immediate custody 7,008 8,195 8,383 
			 Other sentence(3) 4,394 5,006 5,270 
			 Proportion of those sentenced who were given immediate custody (%) 61 62 61 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes: absolute/conditional discharge, fine, community sentence, suspended sentence and otherwise dealt with.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services: Ministry of Justice.

Duchy of Cornwall: Coroners and Justice Act 2009

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what basis his Department sought to consult the Duchy of Cornwall on the proposals for the Coroners and Justice Act 2009; and whether any amendments to the proposed legislation were made in consequence.

Crispin Blunt: We do not disclose the contents of correspondence with members of the Royal Family or the Royal Household.

Fines

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the amount of unpaid monies relating to the issue of an on-the-spot fine in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: Data on the number of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) issued to persons aged 16 and over, in England and Wales for 2005-09 (latest available) and the outcome can be viewed in the table. It is not possible to make an accurate assessment of monies outstanding as, once fines are issued in default of payment, they are indistinguishable from other fines.
	
		
			  Number of Penalty Notices for Disorder issued to all persons aged 16 and over, by age group and year, 2005-09( 1 2)  England and Wales 
			  Of those paid 
			   Number issued  Total paid in full  %  Paid in full within 21days  %  Paid in full outside 21 days  % 
			 2005 146,481 77,247 53 56,823 39 20,424 14 
			 2006 201,197 104,546 52 76,591 38 27,955 14 
			 2007 207,544 106,925 52 82,133 40 24,792 12 
			 2008 176,164 91,289 52 71,244 40 20,045 11 
			 2009 170,393 90,116 53 69,834 41 20,282 12 
		
	
	
		
			   Other outcomes 
			   Fine registered  %  Court hearing requested  %  PND cancelled  %  Potential prosecution  %  Outcome unknown  % 
			 2005 62,179 42 1,588 1 2,437 2 1,805 1 1,225 1 
			 2006 87,796 44 1,480 1 4,268 2 2,710 1 397 0 
			 2007 90,057 43 1,253 1 5,249 3 3,980 2 80 0 
			 2008 76,155 43 1,062 1 4,089 2 3,514 2 55 0 
			 2009 67,646 40 897 1 4,186 2 7,257 4 291 0 
			 (1) Percentages may not add up due to rounding. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Harassment: Convictions

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average sentence length was for persons convicted of harassment under Section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in England and Wales in each year from 1998 to 2010.

Crispin Blunt: The average sentence lengths for persons convicted under section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, in England and Wales, from 1998 to 2009 (latest available) are shown in the following table.
	Data for 2010 are planned for publication in the spring of 2011.
	
		
			  Number of persons found guilty at all courts, sentenced to immediate custody, the average custodial sentence length and other disposal under section 2( 1)  of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, England and Wales, 1998 to 2009( 2,3) 
			  Outcome  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008( 4)  2009 
			 Found guilty 2,221 2,753 2,933 2,806 2,864 3,020 3,348 3,635 3,768 3,745 3,931 4,365 
			 Total sentenced(5) 2,224 2,745 2,934 2,813 2,868 3,033 3,344 3,678 3,789 3,770 3,939 4,377 
			  of which 
			 Other disposals(7) 1,979 2,435 2,605 2,506 2,557 2,726 2,996 3,343 3,412 3,346 3,420 3,812 
			 Immediate custody 245 310 329 307 311 307 348 335 377 424 519 565 
			  
			 Average custodial sentence length (months)(6) 3.2 7.2 5.8 5.8 5.0 7.1 5.6 6.2 5.7 4.9 5.9 6.4 
			 (1) The following statutes were used for the corresponding offence: Protection from Harassment Act 1997, s.2: Offence of harassment; Protection from Harassment Act 1997, s.2 as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998-came into force 30 September 1998: Racially aggravated offence of harassment Religiously aggravated offence of harassment Racially or religiously aggravated offence of harassment (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (5) The sentenced column may exceed those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty, and committed for sentence at the Crown court, may be sentenced in the following year. (6) Excludes life and indeterminate sentences. (7) Includes: absolute/conditional discharge, fine, community sentence, suspended sentence and otherwise dealt with.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice

HM Courts Service

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress has been made on the proposed merger of HM Courts Service and the Tribunals Service.

Jonathan Djanogly: Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is the new agency which brings together the administration of HM Courts Service and the Tribunals Service. It is due to be launched on 1 April 2011. We expect to have the new senior structure for the organisation in place by early April and implementation of the structural design for the rest of the organisation will be completed by April 2012.
	The new structure brings together corporate functions to remove duplication and increase the efficiency of the administration. Operating as a single organisation will provide the platform to improve accessibility, drive up the quality of services we offer to the public and provide a more appropriate environment to users. The public consultation-"A Platform for the Future"-which seeks views on these benefits closed on 25 February 2011 and we expect to publish a response in early April. Over the spending review period it is estimated that the integration of HMCS and the Tribunals Service will deliver savings of £112 million.

HM Courts Service

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the budget was for  (a) HM Courts Service and  (b) the Tribunals Service and its predecessor was in (i) 1997-98 and (ii) 2010-11.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information requested is as follows:
	 The budget for Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS):
	(i) HMCS was formed on 1 April 2005 by the merger of the Court Service and 42 Magistrates Areas. Following the creation of HMCS the accounting records of the Court Service were archived and accessing them to provide the information back to 1997 would be disproportionately expensive for the Department. Information for magistrates courts is not recorded centrally as it is held by individual local authorities and to obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost;
	(ii) £874.5 million 2010-11.
	 The budget for Tribunals Service:
	(i) The Tribunals Service was created on 1 April 2006 through the bringing together of 26 previously separate agencies or similar bodies. As such, we cannot provide figures for 1997-98. To do so would incur disproportionate cost;
	(ii) £247.1 million in 2010-11.

HM Courts Service

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department proposes to save from the merger of HM Courts Service and the Tribunals Service in  (a) 2011-12,  (b) 2012-13 and  (c) 2013-14.

Jonathan Djanogly: Through the integration of HMCS and the Tribunals Service we expect to make savings of £112 million over the course of the spending review.
	The estimated savings for each year are as follows:
	 (a) £15 million in 2011-12;
	 (b) £29 million in 2012-13;
	 (c) £34 million in 2013-14.
	We estimate annual savings of £34 million from 2014-15 onwards. A large proportion of these savings come from a reduction in staffing levels but we also assume a number of savings through a reduced overhead and removal of duplication (for example through reduced numbers of agency non-executive directors). We aim to manage the reduction in staffing levels through redeployment, natural wastage, and voluntary early departures. There will be costs associated with this over the spending review period.

HM Courts Service

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what change in staffing levels he expects as a result of the merger of HM Courts Service and the Tribunals Service in  (a) 2011-12,  (b) 2012-13 and  (c) 2013-14.

Jonathan Djanogly: As a result of the integration of HMCS and the Tribunals Service, staff levels are estimated to reduce in total by 703. This reduction is at headquarters, regional and area management levels, but not at the frontline. It includes an estimated reduction of 118 in the current year (2010-11) and further reductions as follows:
	 (a) by 426 in 2011-12;
	 (b) by 158 in 2012-13;
	 (c) we do not expect a further change in headcount as a result of integration in 2013-14.
	The proposed organisation design for the new agency is currently subject to consultation with staff. We aim to manage as many staff exits as possible through redeployment, natural wastage and voluntary early departures.

HM Courts Service

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of reductions in staff in HM Courts Service in the next four years.

Kenneth Clarke: The estimated cost of reductions in staff in HM Courts and Tribunals Service in the next four years is circa £35 million.

Home Detention Curfews

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions he has been asked by prison governors to provide advice on specific cases concerning an application for early release under a home detention curfew in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: It is not possible to provide figures for the number of occasions the Secretary of State for Justice has been asked by prison governors to provide advice on cases concerning applications for release under the Home Detention Curfew Scheme. The Ministry of Justice provides a helpline service for general and specific advice relating to the Home Detention Curfew Scheme (HDC) but the Department does not collate information on how often advice is provided.

Legal Advice and Assistance: Telephone Services

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has assessed the merits of providing telephone legal advice on certain family law matters in order to divert individuals away from the courts to alternative routes such as mediation.

Jonathan Djanogly: The existing Community Legal Advice (CLA) helpline provides specialist telephone legal advice to clients eligible for legal aid regarding family issues. The service offers information about non-court based options for resolving problems, including mediation, where this is appropriate for the client and their case.
	In addition, the initial operator service of the CLA helpline provides general information about non-court options to callers in certain specific circumstances or where it is requested.
	The Legal Services Commission and the Ministry of Justice are currently assessing the merits of providing more specific information about mediation services through the CLA helpline for people eligible for legal aid and also for those who are ineligible.

Legal Aid

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the compliance with competition legislation of existing arrangements for awarding publicly-funded legal services.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is responsible for the processes for the award of new legal aid contracts. The LSC department responsible for commissioning legal services includes staff trained in procurement procedure and qualified with the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply. The LSC also has a commercial law team who provide advice on legislation relevant to public procurement, and takes external legal advice in relation to tender processes.

Legal Aid: Wales

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the potential effects on recipients of legal aid in Wales of his proposals for legal aid.

Jonathan Djanogly: The potential impacts of the reform proposals are detailed in the impact assessments that accompanied the publication of the consultation paper. Impacts on clients in England and Wales are considered collectively.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress he has made on the review of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: We are conducting an assessment of sentencing and rehabilitation policies, and this includes the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. We have published our proposals for reform of this Act in a Green Paper, 'Breaking the Cycle: Effective Punishment, Rehabilitation and Sentencing of Offenders'. The consultation period for this Green Paper ends on 4 March 2011. Following this, the Government intend to take forward any agreed proposals in due course.

Prison Service Gold Command

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions the Prison Service Gold Command has been opened in each of the last 12 months; what the nature was of each incident that caused it to be opened; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: The Prison Service Gold Command suite was opened on a total number of 31 occasions during the 12 month period to 31 December 2010. The following table shows the nature of each serious incident as defined by restricted Prison Service Order 1400-Incident Management Manual:
	
		
			  Prison Service Gold Command Suite Openings 2010 
			  Date  Serious incident categories  Number 
			 January 2010 Barricade 2 
			  Hostage  
			
			 February 2010 Concerted Indiscipline 1 
			
			 March 2010 Concerted Indiscipline 1 
			
			 April 2010 Incident at Height x2 4 
			  Concerted Indiscipline x2  
			
			 May 2010 Incident at Height 1 
			
			 June 2010 Concerted Indiscipline/Hostage 1 
			
			 July 2010 Concerted Indiscipline at Height 3 
			  Hostage  
			  Concerted Indiscipline  
			
			 August 2010 Concerted Indiscipline 1 
			
			 September 2010 Hostage 2 
			  Hostage-Collusion  
			
			 October 2010 Hostage x2 4 
			  Concerted Indiscipline at Height  
			  Concerted Indiscipline  
			
			 November 2010 Concerted Indiscipline x5 7 
			  Barricade  
			  Hostage  
			
			 December 2010 Concerted Indiscipline x3 4 
			  Barricade/Hostage  
			 Total  31

Prison Service: Manpower

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the cost to the Prison Service was of the deployment of staff on Operation Tornado in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many Tornado  (a) units and  (b) teams there are at each prison establishment; how many such teams there were at each prison establishment; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  on how many occasions the Prison Service has been required to deploy staff under Operation Tornado in each of the last 10 years;
	(4)  on how many occasions the Prison Service has been required to deploy staff under Operation Tornado in each of the last 12 months.

Crispin Blunt: Any serious incident in a prison, immigration removal centre or secure training centre may require the reinforcement of additional staff and resources to assist in its resolution. They can draw upon national plans to ensure the deployment of support and mutual aid, outlined in restricted Prison Service Order 1400-Incident Management Manual. These arrangements are referred to as 'Operation Tornado'. Central records are available from January 2008 and in the period until 31 December 2010 the total number of deployments, as follows, was 33.
	2008: 12
	2009: 6
	2010: 15
	In the 12-month period until 31 December 2010 Prison Service resources providing mutual aid under Operation Tornado were deployed as follows:
	
		
			  2010  Number 
			 January 0 
			 February 1 
			 March 0 
			 April 2 
			 May 0 
			 June 1 
			 July 1 
			 August 1 
			 September 0 
			 October 2 
			 November 5 
			 December 2 
			 Total 15 
			  Note: These data include deployments to immigration removal centres under the management of UKBA. 
		
	
	It is not appropriate to provide the information relating to the specific resource of commitments allocated to each prison, or region. The information is operationally sensitive and its publication could undermine the maintenance of security and good order in prisons, or in other institutions where persons are lawfully detained.
	Each prison governor has the delegated authority for ensuring their prison can deliver the required mutual aid staffing commitments within local budgets. In order to provide the information relating to the national cost of deploying mutual aid, we would need to contact all Prison Service establishments, ask them to check their local records and to submit this information to headquarters. This would incur disproportionate cost.

Prison Service: Training

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on training prison officers on human rights and diversity-related matters in each of the last three years.

Crispin Blunt: The specific costs of training prison officers in human rights and diversity-related matters cannot be identified because these subjects are integrated into all training programmes.

Prisoners

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the prison population was in each week since May 2010.

Crispin Blunt: The prison population in each week since May 2010 is set out in the following table. This information is published weekly on the HMPS website at:
	http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/resourcecentre/publicationsdocuments/index.asp?cat=85
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			  Date  Population 
			  2010  
			 7 May 84,982 
			 14 May 85,009 
			 21 May 85,201 
			 28 May 85,147 
			 4 June 85,096 
			 11 June 85,056 
			 18 June 85,085 
			 25 June 84,966 
			 2 July 85,074 
			 9 July 85,097 
			 16 July 85,117 
			 23 July 85,182 
			 30 July 85,009 
			 6 August 85,115 
			 13 August 85,123 
			 20 August 85,091 
			 27 August 85,111 
			 3 September 84,955 
			 10 September 85,027 
			 17 September 85,192 
			 24 September 85,368 
			 1 October 85,495 
			 8 October 85,325 
			 15 October 85,276 
			 22 October 85,228 
			 29 October 85,159 
			 5 November 85,269 
			 12 November 85,274 
			 19 November 85,393 
			 26 November 85,454 
			 3 December 85,227 
			 10 December 84,896 
			 17 December 84,548 
			 24 December 83,701 
			 31 December 83,055 
			   
			  2011  
			 7 January 82,991 
			 14 January 83,305 
			 21 January 83,780 
			 28 January 84,145 
			 4 February 84,469 
			 11 February 84,785 
			 18 February 85,072

Prisoners: Employment

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to support post-release employment for prisoners in order to reduce recidivism.

Crispin Blunt: We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) which is launching a new approach to improving employment outcomes based on payment by results. The Green Paper "Breaking the Cycle: Effective Punishment, Rehabilitation and Sentencing of Offenders" published on 7 December has set out the intention to incentivise Work programme providers to support post-release employment for unemployed offenders, linked to reducing reoffending, and also to engage more employers to train and recruit offenders.

Prisoners: Foreign Nationals

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what category of crimes each foreign national prisoner serving a custodial sentence in England and Wales was convicted.

Crispin Blunt: The number of foreign national prisoners serving an immediate custodial sentence (including recalls), by offence group, as at 31 December 2010 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Offence group  Number of foreign n ationals 
			 Burglary 262 
			 Drug offences 1,937 
			 Fraud and forgery 520 
			 Motoring offences 130 
			 Offence not recorded 37 
			 Other offences 874 
			 Robbery 685 
			 Sexual offences 1,037 
			 Theft and handling 452 
			 Violence against the person 1,749 
			 Total 7,683 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Mental Illness

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his most recent estimate is of the number of prisoners with a personality disorder.

Crispin Blunt: Personality disorders are common conditions, with differing levels of severity. It is estimated that approximately two-thirds of prisoners, including sentenced and remand prisoners totalling approximately 57,000, would meet the criteria for at least one type of personality disorder. For a relatively small number of offenders, in its most severe forms, personality disorder is linked to a serious risk of harm to themselves and to others. These offenders have highly complex psychological needs that create challenges for staff in terms of management, treatment and maintaining a safe working environment.
	The national health service and National Offender Management Service plan to reconfigure existing services in secure and community settings to manage high risk, sexual or violent offenders whose offending is linked to severe forms of personality disorder. The implementation plan for these changes is subject to a separate consultation by the Department of Health and the Ministry of Justice launched on 17 February.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress his Department has made on increasing the number of prisoner transfer agreements.

Kenneth Clarke: It is the Government's policy to extend or negotiate new prisoner transfer agreements (PTAs) with as many countries as possible. PTAs provide one part of the solution to achieving our objectives of significantly reducing the foreign prisoner population in UK detention and so the burden on the UK taxpayer. In line with our normal practice, wherever possible we seek to negotiate PTAs that do not require prisoners to consent to transfer.
	In consultation with the FCO, we have reviewed our global policy for the negotiation of new or amended prisoner transfer agreements. This policy reflects both the need to secure agreements with those countries that have the largest nationality groups serving sentences in UK prisons; and those where British nationals are imprisoned abroad, in particular where we have concerns about their welfare. We also seek to take advantage of opportunities where another country is seeking a PTA with the UK: even if the total number of prisoners from that country serving sentences here is small and there is no pressing consular need. Finally, agreement in one country can create momentum for approval in a neighbouring state. We therefore may work on a regional basis if a dynamic allows for progress.
	The UK currently has prisoner transfer arrangements with over 100 countries and territories. A prisoner transfer agreement with Rwanda was ratified on 23 November 2010 and in addition to Nigeria, negotiations have begun with other countries including Jamaica, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in line with the policy above. Preparations are under way for the implementation of the EU prisoner transfer agreement which enters into force in December 2011.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign prisoners of each nationality were repatriated in  (a) January and  (b) February 2011.

Crispin Blunt: The information requested is set out as follows:
	
		
			  Prisoners repatriated from England and Wales in January and February 2011 
			  Country to which transfer took place  January 2011  February 2011 (up to 25 February) 
			 Bermuda 1 - 
			 The Netherlands 2 1 
			 Portugal - 1 
		
	
	The repatriation of prisoners to Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for appropriate Ministers in the relevant devolved Administration.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many prisoners in UK prisons who were transferred to the UK under prisoner transfer agreements following convictions abroad were  (a) released early,  (b) released early under the home detention curfew scheme and  (c) released early under exceptional circumstances through the home detention curfew scheme in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many prisoners were transferred to UK prisons from each country of origin under prisoner transfer agreements in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: Prisoners convicted and sentenced abroad who are transferred to prisons in England and Wales to serve the remainder of their sentences are released in accordance with the applicable law governing release in England and Wales. Prisoners are released on their statutory release date unless they are released early, where applicable, on parole, under the Home Detention Curfew Scheme, or early on compassionate or other grounds. Information on the release dates of transferred prisoners is not recorded separately and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The number of prisoners transferred to England and Wales in each of the last four years and the countries from which they were transferred is given in the following table. Prior to 2007, the countries from which prisoners were transferred were not separately recorded.
	
		
			  Prisoners transferred to England and Wales 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2010 
			  Country  2007  2008  2009  2010 
			 Austria - 1 - - 
			 Australia 3 1 - 1 
			 Belgium - - 1 1 
			 Brazil - - 1 2 
			 Costa Rica - 2 2 1 
			 Cyprus 2 2 5 5 
			 Ecuador - 1 - - 
			 France - - 1 4 
			 Germany 1 2 2 1 
			 Ghana - - 2 3 
			 Grenada 1 - - 3 
			 Hong Kong - 2 2 2 
			 India - 2 1 - 
			 Japan 7 8 3 3 
			 Laos - - 1 1 
			 Luxembourg - - 1 - 
			 Mexico - 2 - - 
			 Morocco - 1 1 - 
			 Netherlands 6 - - 1 
			 Norway - - 1 1 
			 Panama - 1 - 1 
			 Portugal 2 - - 1 
			 Republic of Ireland 9 2 8 14 
			 Romania - - 1 - 
			 Slovakia - - - 1 
			 Spain 12 10 17 22 
			 South Korea - 1 - - 
			 Sweden 2 - 2 2 
			 Switzerland 1 - - - 
			 Thailand 4 1 4 4 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 6 2 2 8 
			 Turkey - - - 2 
			 USA 10 8 4 5 
			 Venezuela 2 6 2 - 
			 Total 68 55 64 89 
		
	
	The transfer of prisoners to Scotland and Northern Ireland is a devolved subject and is matter for the appropriate Ministers in the relevant devolved Administration.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the prisoner transfer agreements in respect of the transfer of  (a) Michael Binnington and  (b) Luke Atkinson from Cyprus to Britain; and what the conditions were of each such transfer;
	(2)  what representations he has received from the Cypriot authorities on the early release of  (a) Michael Binnington and  (b) Luke Atkinson.

Crispin Blunt: It would not be appropriate to place in the Library of the House information relating to the transfer of named individuals as the answer contains personal information. I will communicate privately with the hon. Member about this issue. However, I can confirm that the Cypriot authorities have not made any representations about the early release of Michael Binnington and Luke Atkinson.

Prisons: Asbestos

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 16 February 2011,  Official Report, column 796W, on prisons: asbestos, 
	(1)  whether, on 31 December 2010, there remained asbestos in the fabric of the buildings at HM Prison Ford following the comprehensive survey of the estate on 2002-03 and the subsequent programme to remove asbestos that was implemented following the review;
	(2)  in which prisons the 2002-03 comprehensive survey of the estate identified the presence of low risk asbestos which was not removed following this review;
	(3)  in which prison establishments the 2002-03 comprehensive survey of the estate identified the presence of high risk asbestos; and when the subsequent programme to remove the asbestos was completed at each establishment;
	(4)  whether any planned work programme to remove the asbestos from prison establishments has been  (a) postponed,  (b) cancelled or  (c) delayed;
	(5)  what plans were put in place following the 2002-03 comprehensive survey of the prison estate for the removal of low risk asbestos; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: Asbestos was identified in all prisons following a comprehensive survey in 2002-03. Asbestos is still permitted by the Health and Safety Executive in some construction and building activities as there is currently no satisfactory alternative. In prisons it is still used in the gaskets to mechanical systems, but poses a low risk.
	Following the survey in 2002-03 it was not necessary to remove all identified occurrences of asbestos. However, a programme of removal of high-risk asbestos at the prisons detailed in the following list was implemented by local works managers under the supervision of the regional estates manager. This was completed in 2005 at a cost of around £1.4 million. We are not aware of any significant delay or cancellation in this programme to remove asbestos from prisons.
	Aylesbury
	Bedford
	Belmarsh
	Brockhill
	Canterbury
	Cardiff
	Dartmoor
	Deerbolt
	Drake Hall
	Gartree
	Grendon/Spring Hill
	Guys Marsh
	Hewell Grange
	Highdown
	Hindley
	Kirkham
	Leicester
	Lewes
	Lincoln
	Long Lartin
	Nottingham
	Parkhurst and Camphill (now part of Isle of Wight prison)
	Pentonville
	Reading
	Shrewsbury
	Stafford
	Styal
	Swansea
	Usk/Prescoed
	Wellingborough
	Winchester
	Asbestos identified at Ford was assessed as being low risk and was being managed locally but was not removed as part of the above programme. It was present in the prison on the evening of 31 December 2010.
	Following the survey in 2002-03, a comprehensive management plan was put into place, which ensured that every prison holds an electronic register of asbestos. A national training initiative was set up through the Prison Service College to deliver asbestos awareness training for those identified as requiring it and asbestos management training for works site managers.
	Prison Service Order 5901, 'Maintenance of Prison Service Buildings', requires asbestos to be re-inspected and photographed at a time indicated by a risk assessment and at least once every year. Any disturbance or deterioration of the asbestos must be reflected in the reviewed risk assessments. If the asbestos is identified as posing an unacceptably increased risk, a proposal for its removal should be submitted as part of the prison's maintenance strategy. Asbestos judged as being low-risk will not be routinely removed, as disturbing it may put staff at greater danger than if it were to be left in situ.

Prisons: Closures

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate his Department has made of the amount it will receive from the disposal of Lancaster prison and Ashwell prison.

Crispin Blunt: Lancaster Castle prison is leased from the Duchy of Lancaster. Following the prison's closure it will be returned to the Duchy and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) will therefore not receive any payment.
	Discussions about the disposal of Ashwell prison are still in their early stages and it is too soon to say what the MoJ expects to receive in respect of the sale. The land and any property on the site will be placed on the open market for offers with a view to obtaining best value from the sale.

Prisons: Construction

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) prisons and  (b) detention centres in Britain he estimates will be built using prefabricated or flatpack buildings in 2010-11.

Crispin Blunt: One new prison in England and Wales, Isis, has been built using prefabricated buildings in 2010-11. Additional accommodation has also been constructed using this method at Littlehey prison and young offender institution during the period specified. Information about prisons in Northern Ireland and Scotland is respectively the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive and the Scottish Government. No detention centres (i.e. immigration removal centres or secure training centres) in Britain have been built in this way.

Prisons: Furniture

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many new  (a) beds and  (b) mattresses were purchased for use by prisoners in each of the last three years; and what the cost was of such purchases in each such year;
	(2)  what the average cost was of providing a  (a) bed and  (b) mattress for each prisoner held in a (i) public prison and (ii) privately-run prison in the last period for which figures are available;
	(3)  how long a  (a) bed and  (b) mattress is issued for use by prisoners before it is due to be replaced.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the quantity of beds and mattresses purchased for use by prisoners in each of the last three years. The beds are manufactured by prisoners through the prison industries operation. The table references the cost of such purchases in each of the last three years. Using an average of 85,000 prisoner places, the average cost of providing a bed is approximately £8 per annum and the average cost of providing a mattress is approximately £24 per annum.
	The Ministry of Justice is unable to provide figures for the private prisons as they source these items directly by themselves. The 2008-09 procurement initiative to introduce the "Zero Waste Wipe Clean Mattress and Pillow Solution" has increased the life span of a mattress to an average of 22 months. It has also reduced the cost and environmental impact of disposing of the mattress. This contract is for the supply, collection and recycling of highly flame retardant, robust wipe clean prison mattresses and pillows.
	
		
			  Mattress and bed order quantity and value for 2008-10 (calendar years) 
			2008  2009  2010  Last three years 
			  Item  Description  Quantity  Value (£)  Quantity  Value (£)  Quantity  Value (£)  Total quantity  Total value (£) 
			 0435 Mattress, F/R Foam, STD 1.9m long 41,357 1,794,066.66 39,074 1,695,030.12 38,277 1,660,456.26 118,708 5,149,553.04 
			 0436 Mattress F/R Foam, 7 feet, 2.2m long 799 43,026.15 952 51,265.20 550 29,617.50 2,301 43,026.15 
			 0437 Mattress Hospital, F/R Foam 180 10,054.80 234 13,071.24 153 8,546.58 567 10,054.80 
			 0438 Mattress Narrow, F/R Foam 1.9m long 3,395 156,815.05 4,190 193,536.10 5,955 275,061.45 13,540 156,815.05 
			 Sub-total  45,731.00 2,003,962.66 44,450.00 1,952,902.66 44,935.00 1,973,681.79 135,116.00 5,359,449.04 
			   
			 2078 Bed Head, Cream 1,650 32,026.50 1,739 33,753.99 1,330 25,815.30 4,719 32,026.50 
			 2081 Bed Foot, Cream 1,860 23,529.00 1,757 22,226.05 1,028 13,004.20 4,645 23,529.00 
			 2084 Bed Base 6 Cream 2,347 102,235.32 2,236 97,400.16 2,153 93,784.68 6,736 102,235.32 
			 2089 Bed Base 7 Cream 163 7,167.11 172 7,562.84 194 8,530.18 529 7,167.11 
			 34017 Bed Single WWF 1,871 419,272.39 3,031 679,216.79 752 168,515.68 5,654 1,267,004.86 
			 34025 Bunk Bed Mk2 WWF 1 100.97 828 83,603.16 527 53,211.13 1,356 136,915.32 
			 Sub-total  7,892.00 584,331.29 9,763.00 923,762S9 5,984.00 362,861.23 23,639.00 1,568,878.11

Prisons: Training

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what discussions his Department has had with private sector organisations on expanding provision of meaningful work and training in prisons;
	(2)  whether his Department has plans to extend initiatives such as that conducted by the Timpson Academy with offenders in HM Prisons Liverpool and Wandsworth.

Crispin Blunt: The development of prisoners' employment skills helps them to become productive members of society and improves their chances of gaining employment on release, which we know is a major contributor to turning them away from crime.
	We set out our intention to make prisons places of work and industry in the Green Paper "Breaking the cycle: Effective punishment, rehabilitation and sentencing of offenders" published on 7 December 2010. As part of the consultation, we have been discussing with the private sector ways in which we can increase further their participation in providing work and training in prisons.
	There are already examples, like the Timpson Academies, of successful partnerships between prisons and private sector organisations; whether employers are recruiting offenders directly from prison, running a prison workshop, training prisoners for specific jobs, providing the chance of employment on release or helping shape policy and practice.
	We will continue to consult with the private sector on its role in contributing to the rehabilitation of offenders through skills development and employment in both prisons and the community.

Sentencing

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will provide guidance to the judiciary and magistracy to seek to ensure that court sentence ranges do not vary by region.

Crispin Blunt: The independent Sentencing Council for England and Wales issues sentencing guidelines to judges and magistrates. The Council was set up under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 to promote greater transparency and consistency in sentencing across England and Wales.

Social Impact Bonds

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2011,  Official Report, column 404W, on social impact bonds, what the evaluation criteria will be for assessing whether the programme has delivered sufficient reductions in reconviction events to warrant payment; who will be responsible for carrying out such an evaluation; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: Following a competitive tender process, the Ministry of Justice has appointed QinetiQ and the university of Leicester to assess whether the first social impact bond cohort delivers a sufficient reduction in reconvictions to trigger a payment to investors.
	QinetiQ and the university of Leicester will calculate the total frequency of reconviction events for the offenders in the first social impact bond cohort, during the 12 months following their release from prison. To determine whether a payment should be made, this reconviction rate will be compared with the frequency of conviction events over the same time period for a comparison group. The comparison group will consist of 10,000 offenders released from other prisons, identified by QinetiQ and the university of Leicester as having similar characteristics to the social impact bond offenders.
	Together with the Big Lottery Fund, the Government will pay for results if reconvictions fall by 10% across the cohort. If this threshold is not achieved, no payment will be made. The appointment of an independent assessor for the second and third cohorts will follow a full competitive tender process.

Social Impact Bonds

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2011,  Official Report, column 404W, on social impact bonds, what the commissioning process entailed; what selection criteria were used; which other companies or charities submitted proposals to be considered as potential partners for the pilot project at HM Prison Peterborough; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: The social impact bond at Peterborough prison was commissioned on 18 March 2010. This followed a period of commercial negotiations between Social Finance and the Ministry of Justice which began in June 2009.
	The innovative social impact bond is the first social investment scheme commissioned by the Government, and as such, the approach has not been piloted elsewhere in the public sector. The unique nature of the Social Finance proposal, and the provision of £5 million innovation funding support by the Big Lottery Fund, meant that a formal competitive process was not appropriate. Throughout negotiations with Social Finance, the Ministry of Justice took appropriate action to secure value for money. The Ministry of Justice obtained clearance for the pilot from the Domestic Affairs (Public Engagement and the Delivery of Services) Committee, and support from HM Treasury.
	Future payment by results contracts, including those supported by social models of investment, will be subject to a competitive process.

Supreme Court: Flags

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice who granted authority for the Supreme Court to fly its own flag as well as the Union flag from its building; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: The chief executive, on behalf of the President, Deputy President and Justices of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom sought advice about flag flying from the Flag Institute. The institute's guidance is set out in its joint publication with the Flags and Heraldry Committee (an All Party Parliamentary Group) titled "Flying flags in the United Kingdom-A guide to Britain's flag protocol". The guide permits double flagging on one flagpole provided that the senior flag is flown at the top of the pole.
	Authority for the flying of the Supreme Court flag beneath the Union flag on days when the court is sitting or handing down judgments was granted by the President, Deputy President and Justices of the Supreme Court. No other authority was required.

Theft: Re-offenders

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the merits of ensuring that second and third cases brought against an individual for offences relating to theft of goods valued below £5,000 are kept at a magistrates court for summary determination.

Crispin Blunt: We are considering various ways of keeping out of the Crown court cases that do not need to be tried there. To provide that some offences that are triable either way could in certain circumstances be treated as summary only would be one possibility. Any change to the status quo would take into account the Government's commitment (as stated in the coalition agreement) to protect historic freedoms through the defence of trial by jury.

Third Sector

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what account he has taken of the Compact between the Government and Civil Society in policy development.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice is involving diverse civil society organisations when developing its policies and in delivering services across the Department's business.
	We are committed to further opening up our services to independent providers and we are working with civil society organisations to identify and remove barriers to their engagement. We are helped in this by the refreshed Compact and wider Government reforms.
	The Ministry's Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group (RRTSAG) is an important forum for providing advice to my colleagues and officials on policy and strengthening the sector's role in reducing reoffending.
	We have worked closely with the RRTSAG and other civil society partners to develop the Green Paper 'Breaking the Cycle: effective punishment, rehabilitation and sentencing of offenders', and we are consulting widely as well as through targeted approaches-for example we are co-ordinating a cross-sector symposium on payment by results which I will attend.
	In developing proposals for how victims' services should be commissioned we are working closely with voluntary sector providers to develop a transparent and sustainable funding model using the compact as a basis. We are also engaging with victims' charities and service providers on the development of a range of policies on victims and witnesses.
	There are a number of areas in the legal aid review which we are considering closely with not-for-profit advice providers and we have sought their views during the consultation process. The Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Huntingdon (Mr Djanogly) has recently met with representatives of advice providers to discuss the potential impact of the proposed reforms.
	We have involved the Family Mediation Council (comprises both civil society and private sector organisations) in developing family mediation policy. We have engaged FMC representatives within the MoJ Project Board and we are actively involving the mediation community in setting the future direction of policy.
	The Ministry and its agencies are funding voluntary sector umbrella bodies such as Clinks, Action for Prisoner's Families, and the Advice Services Alliance to give a voice and grow the contribution of diverse civil society organisations and their users.
	We are promoting the refreshed Compact throughout the Department and its agencies. We welcome plans to strengthen accountability arrangements.

Third Sector

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to support the Big Society initiative;
	(2)  whether  (a) he and  (b) Ministers in his Department are participating in volunteering activities as part of his Department's involvement in the Big Society initiative.

Kenneth Clarke: I and my ministerial team support and encourage volunteering in many ways, in their ministerial roles and as constituency members. They actively support initiatives by participating in visits, attending community events and raising awareness of volunteering through media activity.
	The Ministry's reform programme and business plan are underpinned by the Big Society principles. This includes increased competition of our services; moving to payment by outcomes commissioning; publishing data so that the public can hold us to account; lifting the burden of bureaucracy by reviewing top down performance arrangements; and increasing community access to and involvement in local criminal justice.
	We have already made some commitments and we are exploring and consulting on a range of relevant approaches, including through our Green Paper 'Breaking the Cycle: effective punishment, rehabilitation and sentencing of offenders'. These include:
	Testing out local Neighbourhood Justice Panels to give communities greater responsibility for tackling some low-level crime and antisocial behaviour.
	Giving communities a choice in the work undertaken by offenders through Community Payback.
	Exploring restorative justice approaches that empower communities in seeking reparation for crimes.
	Improving the links between courts and communities by further developing local multi-agency problem solving models.
	Promoting and reducing barriers to volunteering and broader participation in the Justice System over time. The Green Paper commits us to building on the extensive volunteering already taking place and bringing forward further plans on community involvement.
	We will no longer provide rehabilitation services directly without testing where the private and voluntary sectors can deliver more efficiently and effectively. We will publish a strategy for competing offender services by June 2011.
	We launched the Social Impact Bond pilot in Peterborough Prison last year-social investors are paying up front for intensives services and mentoring delivered by the voluntary sector. We will pay solely on the results they deliver.
	We will run at least six new payment by results projects, which will be open to a diverse range of providers of rehabilitation services. Two of these will test a local financial incentives model in Manchester and selected London boroughs. We will share savings with the local area if they are successful in reducing demand and reoffending, which can then be reinvested in further crime prevention activity.
	Through the Family Justice System review we are exploring the potential for family mediation to be delivered by local independent mediation services.
	We are investing nearly £30 million over the next three years through the voluntary sector to support victims of crime.
	We are consulting on introducing a single reducing reoffending measure.
	We are proposing reducing the central burden on local youth offending teams through lighter touch performance management and more risk based inspection. We have already removed the ring fence from the YOT grant to allow more flexibility in how they use their funding.
	We have published sentencing data since October 2010 and we are consulting on proposals to further increase the accessibility and transparency of justice data and outcomes including by area.

Tribunals Service

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Work and Pensions on the effects of proposed reforms to disability living allowance on the work of the Tribunals Service.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Tribunals Service and Department for Work and Pensions have been working closely together to manage demands on tribunals and the capacity of tribunals to deal with increased work loads. Regular discussions will continue in planning for the implementation of reforms to disability living allowance.

Tribunals Service

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the Copyright Tribunal and the Competition Appeals Tribunal are to operate under shared administration within the Tribunals Service.

Jonathan Djanogly: Both the Copyright Tribunal and the Competition Appeal Tribunal are currently being considered for future transfer to HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). This is still at a very early stage and no final decisions have been taken whether either or both tribunals should transfer. HMCTS provides administrative support to number of different tribunal jurisdictions and should it be decided and agreed that either or both the Copyright Tribunal and Competition Appeal Tribunal should transfer then the arrangements made will take account of their specialist needs.

Woodhill Prison: Education

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for how many hours a week on average prisoners in HM Prison Woodhill had access to education in the latest period for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: During 2008-09 prisoners at HMP Woodhill spent on average 4.5 hours per prisoner per week in education.
	The figure has been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	Figures for 2009-10 will be available in March.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Domestic Violence

Tom Harris: To ask the Attorney-General what recent assessment has been made of the role of specialist domestic violence services in improving prosecution rates in cases involving allegations of domestic violence.

Edward Garnier: Evaluations of Specialist Domestic Violence Courts (SDVCs) in 2005 and in 2008 clearly demonstrated that SDVCs, involving specialist domestic violence support services, have contributed to improving prosecution rates as well as safety for domestic violence victims.

Bribery Act

Chris Williamson: To ask the Attorney-General what recent assessment he has made of the role of the Serious Fraud Office in implementation of the provisions of the Bribery Act 2010.

Dominic Grieve: The Serious Fraud Office has been contributing to the development of the Ministry of Justice's guidance for commercial organisations about adequate procedures to prevent bribery. The director of the Serious Fraud Office and the Director of Public Prosecutions will also be publishing joint prosecution guidance for prosecutors in due course.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Biofuels: Teesside

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations he has reviewed on the biorefinery at Seal Sands on Teeside proposed by INEOS Bio; and if he will take steps to enable the project to go ahead.

Gregory Barker: Government are supporting development of this important demonstration project through grant funding. The scoping part of the project was successfully completed in 2010. DECC, together with One North East and technical experts at the NNFCC have been advising Ineos Bio as they work on issues concerning the construction stage of the project.

Carbon Trust

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects on achievement of carbon reduction targets of reductions in the budgets of the  (a) Carbon Trust and  (b) Energy Savings Trust.

Gregory Barker: No assessment has been made as both the Carbon Trust and Energy Saving Trust continue to develop their business plans for 2011-12 and in doing so are seeking to drive efficiencies, while maintaining existing levels of service and outcomes where possible. From October 2012, we expect an even greater level of emissions reductions to be achieved with the implementation of the Green Deal, a new scheme to drive energy efficiency in buildings.

Climate Change

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect on the independence of the Committee on Climate Change of its inclusion in the bodies listed in schedule 7 to the Public Bodies Bill.

Gregory Barker: The Government have laid an amendment to the Public Bodies Bill that, if agreed, would remove clause 11 and schedule 7 from the Bill. However even were that not the case, the inclusion of the Committee on Climate Change in schedule 7 of the Public Bodies Bill-along with all other statutory public bodies that would require such a legislative framework if needing reform-would not have changed its independent nature or the important role that it plays.

Departmental Location

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals to relocate  (a) staff and  (b) offices of his Department to Brighton; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Department currently has no such plans.

Energy: Business

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  whether he has made an assessment of the combined effects on energy intensive industries of forecast increases in global energy costs and the implementation of proposed domestic energy legislation, including the carbon price support;
	(2)  whether he has made an assessment of the effects of his proposals for electricity market reform and a carbon price support on  (a) energy intensive industries,  (b) the steel industry,  (c) the ceramic industry,  (d) the glass industry,  (e) the paper and pulp industry and  (f) the cement industry;
	(3)  what plans he has to assist manufacturers of energy intensive products to compete internationally after the implementation of proposals for electricity market reform and a carbon price support;
	(4)  what work will be undertaken by the joint project between his Department and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to consider the cumulative effects of energy and climate change policies on energy-intensive industries in the UK; and when he expects the results of this work to be published.

Charles Hendry: The Government are committed to tackling the challenges of energy security, and affordability of energy prices, for energy intensive users.
	The Government published their initial assessment of the impacts of the carbon price support policy in the impact assessment which accompanied the consultation document published at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/consult_carbon_price_support_condoc.pdf
	The Government are currently undertaking a review of the impact of climate change and energy policies on energy intensive users and I aim to publish findings of the review in the spring.
	I will consider policy options once this ongoing research and analysis has been completed.

Energy: Cost-effectiveness

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the cost-effectiveness of energy savings and efficiencies as a means of meeting the Government's energy policy objectives.

Gregory Barker: Cost effectiveness is one of a number of important criteria Government must take into account when considering policy options-both in the short term and long-term.
	An economic appraisal of the costs and benefits is a mandatory part of assessing the impacts of all policies, and allows consideration of the relative merits of different policy options. This must be carried out in line with HM Treasury's Green Book and, where policies have a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions, with the supplementary guidance on the valuation of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions published by DECC.
	Considerations of the long-term pathway to the UK's target to reduce emissions by at least 80% on 1990 levels by 2050 is also part of the evidence base to inform decision making.
	Across the package of policies and measures put in place to deliver the savings required to meet the UK's Carbon Budgets there is a wide range of cost-effectiveness: Conservation and energy efficiency measures typically represent more cost-effective options in the near term, while decarbonising the power generation sector is key to place the UK on track with its long-term target-and to do so at least-cost, avoiding locking in to costlier alternatives.

Fuel Oil

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of properties in  (a) Totnes constituency,  (b) the South West and  (c) England which do not have mains gas access and which use domestic heating oil.

Charles Hendry: In 2008, the latest year for which this information is available, there were around 773,000 households in England which had no access to mains gas and that used heating oil as their main heating fuel. Of these households, around 191,000 were located in the South West Government Office Region.
	Equivalent figures for the Totnes constituency are not available.

Fuel Oil: Prices

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will commission an inquiry into the reason for recent trends in the price of domestic heating oil.

Charles Hendry: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I gave on 21 January concerning the Off-Grid Energy market. I am keen that the reasons for the high price of domestic heating oil and supply issues this winter are thoroughly investigated by an independent authority. The Office of Fair Trading market study will provide an independent assessment of the off-grid market and establish what further action may be necessary to ensure it works properly. I look forward to seeing its conclusions in advance of next winter so the lessons from this winter can be learned and any necessary changes made.

Power Stations: Fossil Fuels

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much of the UK's energy he estimates will be supplied by power stations operating on fossil fuels by  (a) 2020 and  (b) 2030.

Charles Hendry: DECC does not produce a projection of the electricity mix between now and 2030. The generation mix to 2020 and 2030 will be driven by commercial decisions taken within the policy framework for the electricity market. However in the course of analysis undertaken for various policies we run scenarios that result in different generation mixes depending on the assumptions used.
	For example, the analytical work for the Electricity Market Reform consultation document, published on the 16 December 2010, included modelling by Redpoint Energy of the electricity system out to 2030. The modelling work used an indicative carbon emissions target for the electricity system of 100gCO2/kWh by 2030, which was consistent with advice from the Committee on Climate Change at the time. This modelling showed that unabated power stations operating on fossil fuels would provide approximately 54% of electricity supplied in 2020 and approximately 24% of total electricity supplied in 2030.
	Following this analysis, in December 2010, the Committee on Climate Change suggested that a carbon emissions intensity of 50gCO2/kWh by 2030 would be required to meet longer term carbon goals. This scenario would result in less electricity being supplied from fossil fuel generation in 2030 than under the 100gCO2/kWh scenario.

Smart Electricity Grid

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the relative merits of  (a) wireless mesh,  (b) power line carrier,  (c) GPRS,  (d) 3G cellular and  (e) fixed consumer broadband as potential communications platforms for the development of a smart electricity grid.

Charles Hendry: Each of these technologies could have significant potential in the development of a smart grid.
	We have not made an assessment of the potential benefits of various options for communications platforms for smart grid, as we believe the market will establish the communications system that will best serve the needs of the electricity system.

Smart Electricity Grid

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of wireless mesh technology as a platform for smart electricity grid development.

Charles Hendry: Wireless mess technology is one of a number of telecommunications systems that could be used to support smart grids.
	We have not made an assessment of the potential benefits of wireless mesh technology as a platform for smart electricity grid development, as we believe the market will establish what communications system will best serve the needs of the networks to meet their future challenges

Water Power: Finance

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funding mechanisms he plans to put in place to encourage investment in the marine renewable sector following the phasing out of the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund in March 2011.

Gregory Barker: The Department is currently developing its detailed plans for the allocation of the £200 million, to support the development of low carbon technologies, announced in the spending review-the needs of wave and tidal energy technologies are being considered as part of that process.
	A scheduled banding review of renewables obligation support for all technologies, including marine technologies, began last October. The review will consider whether any changes are needed to the current bands. We intend to consult on any changes to the bands this summer and to confirm the revised bands in the autumn, one year earlier than previously announced.
	Any changes in support levels will come into effect on the 1 of April 2013, (2014 for offshore wind) subject to sate aids and parliamentary approval.

Water Power: Finance

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to encourage  (a) wave and tidal technology developers and  (b) marine energy device manufacturers to locate themselves in the UK.

Gregory Barker: We have moved to establish a new UK Marine Energy programme, that will address the barriers affecting the UK marine energy sector's ability to develop and deploy wave and tidal energy devices at a commercial scale.
	Through the programme we will put in place a coherent programme of policies across Government, led by DECC, to enable the UK Marine Energy sector to move from prototype testing to commercial deployment.
	With the right framework of policies in place we can both develop our indigenous UK marine energy industry and attract investment and manufacturing into the UK.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Social Security Benefits

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of personnel in each of the three services who are in receipt of  (a) working families tax credit,  (b) income support and  (c) other benefits.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is not available.
	Working tax credit and child tax credits replaced working families' tax credit in April 2003.

Departmental Manpower

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many  (a) actual and  (b) full-time equivalent staff have left his Department's employment since May 2010;
	(2)  how many  (a) actual and  (b) full-time equivalent staff his Department employed on the latest date for which figures are available;
	(3)  how many  (a) actual and  (b) full-time equivalent staff were employed by his Department in May 2010.

Andrew Robathan: The information requested is shown in the following tables:
	
		
			  Ministry of Defence strength by headcount and full-time equivalent at 1 May 2010 and 1 January 2011 
			   May  January  Change in Strength 
			 Headcount 89,770 88,040 -1,740 
			 Equivalent 85,640 84,180 -1,470 
			  Source: DASA (Quad Service) 
		
	
	
		
			  Ministry of Defence headcount and full-time equivalent exits between 1 May 2010 and 1 January 2011 
			   Headcount  Full-time equivalent 
			 Outflow 3,440 3,250 
			  Notes: 1. All totals have been individually rounded to the nearest 10 and totals and sub totals may not match precisely. 2. Totals for strengths include Locally Engaged Civilians and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel. 3. Outflow data excludes Locally Engaged Civilians and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel for whom entrance and exit data are not available and can be tracked only by net changes within strength totals.  Source: DASA (Quad Service)

Departmental Security

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure his Department has incurred on contracts with the private sector to provide security at his Department's establishments  (a) in the UK and  (b) overseas in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 28 February 2011
	The value of the contracts that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) had in place with the private sector to provide security guarding at MOD establishments in each of the last five Financial Years (FY) in the United Kingdom and overseas is represented in the following table:
	
		
			  Private security costs for MOD establishments 
			  £ million 
			  FY  UK  Overseas  Total 
			 2006-07 7.6 0.5 8.1 
			 2007-08 12.4 0.6 13.0 
			 2008-09 13.3 0.6 13.9 
			 2009-10 18.6 0.7 19.3 
			 2010-11(1) 13.4 0.9 14.3 
			 Total 65.3 3.3 68.6 
			 (1) 2010-11 figures up until 31 December 2010.

Estonia and Latvia: Military Alliances

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the UK's bi-lateral military relationship with  (a) Estonia and  (b) Latvia.

Liam Fox: holding answer 28 February 2011
	The bi-lateral military relationships with Estonia and Latvia are continuously assessed by the Ministry of Defence, and captured in briefing and policy documents as required by Ministers and senior officials. Estonia and Latvia are participants in the Northern Group initiative: as such, relations with both countries receive particularly frequent scrutiny. Moreover, the UK/Estonia relationship is strengthened by activities in Afghanistan where Estonian and UK forces serve alongside each other.

Northern Europe: Military Alliances

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to assign assets to the Nordic Baltic Alliance.

Liam Fox: The United Kingdom has no established relations with any entity known as the 'Nordic Baltic Alliance'. It is assumed that the hon. Member refers to the Northern Group, a collaborative grouping of willing sovereign nations in Northern Europe that currently enjoys the participation of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Sweden. The Northern Group does not require its participants to assign assets to it nor has any participating nation announced plans to do so. United Kingdom Ministry of Defence officials are engaged with their counterparts across the Group to identify opportunities for collaboration which offer clear mutual benefits.

Sweden and Norway: Military Alliances

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the UK's bi-lateral military relationship with  (a) Sweden and  (b) Norway.

Liam Fox: holding answer 28 February 2011
	The bi-lateral military relationships with both Sweden and Norway are continuously assessed by the Ministry of Defence, and captured in briefing and policy documents as required by Ministers and senior officials. Norway and Sweden are participants in the Northern Group initiative: as such, relations with both countries receive particularly frequent scrutiny.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Electoral Register

Mark Spencer: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment he has made of the accuracy of the electoral register.

Mark Harper: The Government have not made such an assessment. However, the Electoral Commission in its March 2010 report "The completeness and accuracy of electoral registers in Great Britain" found:
	"...it is likely that the accuracy of the registers remains broadly similar to past decades"
	and that
	"...the major source of inaccuracy remains electors moving home and not informing the relevant Electoral Registration Officer (ERO)."
	It is clear that more can be done to support accuracy. To this end, the Government have announced the implementation of individual electoral registration from 2014, which will ensure that only those entitled to vote will get on the register, so bringing greater protection against electoral fraud.

Prisoner Voting

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish the legal advice he has received on compliance with rulings of the European Court of Human Rights on prisoner voting.

Mark Harper: The Government do not disclose their legal advice. Disclosure of legal advice could prejudice the Government's ability to defend their legal interests.
	The Government have requested that the court's judgment in the "Greens and MT" case be referred to the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)-the highest tier of the ECtHR. If the Grand Chamber agrees to the referral, they will look again at the judgment and issue their opinion.
	The basis of the Government's referral request is that we believe that the court should look again at the principles in "Hirst" which outlaws a blanket ban on prisoners voting, particularly given the recent debate in the House of Commons. The referral request also points out the need for clarity in the ECtHR's case law in this area.

Prisoners

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has for prisoners with no fixed abode under his proposals to extend the franchise to certain prisoners.

Mark Harper: The Government are considering the next steps in relation to the European Court of Human Rights' judgments against the UK, and will reflect carefully on the points made in the House of Commons backbench debate on 10 February 2011 in deciding how to respond.

CABINET OFFICE

Government: Accountability

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he plans to take to increase levels of transparency in Government decision-making in order to improve accountability to the public.

Francis Maude: Over the last 10 months, the Government have opened up a wealth of data for public scrutiny for the first time. This includes: all central Government spending over £25,000 online on a monthly basis, providing details of over £80 billion of Government spending; organograms for all central Government Departments, with salary details for the most senior civil servants; and all new contract opportunities.
	The data.gov.uk website provides links to released data which is in an open reusable form, and their regular updates.
	This data allows the public to see how much has been spent with which suppliers and on what products, thereby providing an opportunity for challenge and questions.
	As part of building the right to data, we are amending the Freedom of Information Act to ensure that public authorities publish datasets for reuse and do so in a reuseable format whether in response to requests, or through their publication schemes. We are also bringing forward plans for a new public data corporation. The corporation will, for the first time, bring together Government bodies and data into one organisation and provide an unprecedented level of easily accessible public information and drive further efficiency in the delivery of public services.
	This will help to deliver better value for money in public spending and bring significant social and economic benefits by enabling businesses, non-profit organisations and others to exploit Government datasets for social and commercial purposes.

Gross Value Added: Glasgow

Ian Davidson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate the Office for National Statistics has made of the gross valued added of the City of Glasgow economy in the last 10 years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning estimates of the gross valued added of the City of Glasgow economy in the last 10 years (41473).
	Regional Gross Value Added (GVA) is available at several geographic levels. City of Glasgow is classified under the NUTS3 (Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics) geography. The most recent estimates available for the NUTS3 classification are for 2008. Data for the years 1999 - 2008, presented in £ million at current basic prices, are included in the table below.
	
		
			   Total GVA Glasgow City ( £ million) 
			 1999 10,381 
			 2000 10,749 
			 2001 11,342 
			 2002 11,995 
			 2003 12,805 
			 2004 13,415 
			 2005 14,062 
			 2006 14,993 
			 2007 16,105 
			 2008 16,888 
			  Source: Table 3.1, Regional GVA, ONS, available on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/GVA_NUTS3.xls

Job Creation

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 16 February 2011,  Official Report, column 829W, on job creation, in which sectors  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time jobs were created in 2010.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question, pursuant to the Answer of 16 February 2011, Official Report, column 829W, on job creation, in which sectors (a) full-time and (b) part-time jobs were created in 2010. 42688
	Estimates of job creation are not available.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Oxfordshire

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in Oxford West and Abingdon constituency have received jobseeker's allowance consecutively for  (a) three months,  (b) six months,  (c) nine months,  (d) more than one year and  (e) more than two years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people in Oxford West and Abingdon constituency have received jobseeker's allowance consecutively for (a) three months, (b) six months, (c) nine months, (d) more than one year and (e) more than two years. (042976)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles the number of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system.
	Table 1 shows the number of persons resident in Oxford West and Abingdon constituency claiming JSA by duration of claims. Data has been provided for January 2011 which is the latest period available.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persons claiming jobseeker's allowance by duration of claim residing in Oxford West and Abingdon constituency-January 2011 
			   Number 
			  Claiming for over :  
			 3 months(1) 530 
			 6 months 290 
			 9 months 210 
			 12 months 140 
			 24 months 30 
			 (1) Those claiming more than three months include all those claiming for over six months, nine months, 12 month and 24 months (and similarly for other rows).  Note: Data rounded to nearest 5.  Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system

Personal Income: Surveys

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he expects to conduct the next living costs and food survey.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking when the next Living Costs and Food Survey is expected to be conducted (42555).
	The Living Costs and Food survey is conducted continuously. Interviews are spread evenly over the year to ensure that seasonal effects are covered. Results from the 2009 survey were reported on 30 November 2010, in the publication Family Spending. The 2010 survey report is expected to be published in November 2011.

Social Conditions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department has made an assessment of the effects of income inequality on levels of  (a) well-being and  (b) happiness.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office has no active research on the effects of income inequality on levels of (subjective) well-being or happiness. Under the previous Administration, the Cabinet Office did publish a discussion paper on Life Satisfaction: the state of knowledge and policy implications (2002) which contained a cursory discussion of this issue. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has been commissioned to develop robust independent measures of subjective well-being and is carrying out a national debate to obtain the views of the public on the dimensions of well-being, which will inform the measures.

Unemployment

Tim Farron: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his most recent estimate is of the proportion of people who are unemployed in  (a) England,  (b) the North West,  (c) Cumbria and  (d) Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on the percentage of people who are unemployed in (a) England, (b) the North West, (c) Cumbria and (d) Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency. (42033)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS), following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. Unfortunately the sample size does not support analyses of unemployment for all of the geographical areas requested.
	As an alternative, in Table 1, we have provided the number and proportions of persons aged 16-64 resident in the above geographical areas claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for January 2011.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and proportion of people aged 16-64 claiming jobseeker's allowance resident in England, the North West, Cumbria and Westmorland and Lonsdale parliamentary constituency, January 2011 
			   Number  Proportion 
			 England 1,224,055 3.6 
			 North West 183,557 4.1 
			 Cumbria 8,367 2.7 
			 Westmorland and Lonsdale 1,317 2.6 
			  Source: Jobcentre Plus Administrative System

Unemployment: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of people who are economically inactive in Coventry; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the number of people who are economically inactive in Coventry. (43575)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles estimates of inactivity for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	The number of people aged 16-64 who were economically inactive and resident in Coventry was 57,000, based on the APS for the 12 months ending in June 2010, which is the latest period for which estimates are available.
	As this estimate is for a subset of the population in a small geographical area, it is based on a very small sample size, and is therefore subject to a large margin of uncertainty.

TREASURY

Banks: Loans

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  with reference to paragraph 1.6 of his Department's paper on Project Merlin-Banks' Statement on Lending, how much weight will be given on the performance metrics of chief executives for each bank;
	(2)  what the process was for the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers as the accountancy firm to work with the Bank of England on monitoring the lending targets set out in the Project Merlin agreement;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to increase lending to businesses from banking and financial services groups that are operating in the UK but which are not subject to the Project Merlin agreement;
	(4)  what estimate his Department has made of the level of net lending to businesses by  (a) Barclays,  (b) HSBC,  (c) Lloyds Banking Group,  (d) RBS and  (e) Santander in each year since 2007; and what estimate he has made of the likely level of such lending by each bank in each year to 2014;
	(5)  which companies are defined as small and medium-sized businesses, small and medium-sized enterprises or SMEs for the purposes of determining performance against the lending targets outlined in the Project Merlin agreement;
	(6)  how performance against the commitments he has received from banks on their customer service to small businesses as part of the Project Merlin agreement will be  (a) monitored and  (b) evaluated in respect of provision of (i) a free mentoring service, (ii) published lending principles, (iii) transparent appeals and (iv) improved access to finance; and whether he plans to publish such information.

Mark Hoban: As announced on 9 February 2011,  Official Report, columns 310-13, by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the UK's five major banks have stated a capacity and willingness to lend £190 billion of new credit to business in 2011. This includes £76 billion of new lending to SMEs, which is a 15% increase on the amount lent in 2010. If demand exceeds this, the banks will lend more. For the purposes of the lending targets in Project Merlin, SMEs are broadly defined as businesses up to £25 million turnover.
	The Bank of England will report, on a quarterly basis, the banks' total new lending to all businesses (and within that, to SMEs) under the definitions used for Project Merlin. The Bank of England will not be not working with PricewaterhouseCoopers to monitor lending targets.
	For the first time chief executive remuneration will reflect lending. The calibration of performance metrics of chief executive remuneration is a matter for each individual bank.
	The Bank of England, in their January 2011 "Trends in Lending" report, estimated the average monthly aggregate levels of net lending to UK businesses by UK financial institutions to be: £7.9 billion in 2007, £3.9 billion in 2008, minus £3.9 billion in 2009, minus £3.2 billion in Q1 of 2010, minus £2.1 billion in Q2 of 2010 and minus £2.2 billion in Q3 of 2010. The Treasury does not make estimates of the levels of lending to UK businesses by individual institutions.
	In addition to this commitment to increase lending to businesses, the Government continue to support SMEs seeking finance in a number of ways.
	The Government have agreed with the British Bankers' Association that the Business Growth Fund will be increased by £1 billion to a total of £2.5 billion.
	The Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme will be extended until 2014-15, providing up to £600 million of additional lending to around 6,000 SMEs next year alone.
	The Government are continuing the programme of Enterprise Capital Funds. We have increased our commitment by £200 million over the next four years.
	The Regional Growth Fund will provide £1.4 billion of investment over three years; to help those areas and communities that are currently dependent on the public sector make the transition to sustainable private-sector led growth.
	Finally, the Business Finance Taskforce, led by the British Bankers' Association, have agreed to 17 new commitments in order to improve the banks' relationship with their business customers and they will be evaluating the effectiveness of these measures.

Banks: Pay

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to increase transparency in the remuneration practices of banking and financial services groups that are operating in the UK but which are not covered by the Project Merlin agreement.

Mark Hoban: The Government have taken robust action to deliver increased transparency over remuneration. The new the Financial Services Authority (FSA) disclosure regime came into force on 1 January 2011, covering large banks with operations in the UK. Banks will disclose details of the remuneration awarded to significant risk takers, showing the total amounts paid the breakdown into components including cash, shares, deferred and upfront elements. Disclosures will be made at least annually, starting in 2011 and covering the 2010 financial year.

Banks: Regulation

Alun Cairns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he plans to take to ensure a competitive, sustainable banking sector.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 28 February 2011
	The Government are committed to a stable, predictable and competitive environment for financial services and one favourable to business more generally. The UK bank levy, a permanent tax that came into effect from the beginning of this year, has been introduced as a complement to wider regulatory reforms. The levy ensures that banks make a fair contribution reflecting the risks they pose to the financial system and wider economy and is intended to encourage banks to have less risky funding profiles.
	The June Budget took immediate action to restore tax competitiveness with a phased reduction in the main rate of corporation tax from 28% to 24% over the next four years.
	At the same time, the UK is leading the argument in the EU and internationally for robust, internationally consistent regulatory standards that will benefit the economy in the long run. On 17 February, the Government published a further consultation "A new approach to financial regulation: building a stronger system" which expands on the proposals set out last summer to establish a new system of specialised and focused financial services regulators. It marks a key step in delivering the coalition Government's commitment to reform financial regulation by providing the Bank of England with control of macro-prudential regulation and oversight of micro-prudential regulation. These reforms will promote greater financial stability.

Banks: Regulation

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to paragraph 3.6 of the Project Merlin-Banks' statement, on disclosure of the remuneration details of Executive Directors, what definition his Department uses for executive; and how many employees at each of the banks that are subject to the Project Merlin agreement he estimates earn more than the five highest paid executives who are not on the board at each such bank.

Mark Hoban: As part of Project Merlin, the banks have committed to disclosing details of the remuneration awarded to all Executive Directors on a named basis, and also details of the remuneration awarded to the five highest paid senior executive officers, on an unnamed basis. Executive Directors serve on the board of the company while senior executive officers are employees with significant managerial responsibility but who do not serve on the board of the company. The Government welcome and supports these commitments.
	The Government have not made any estimates of the number of employees at a given company that earn more than the five highest paid Executive Directors.

Banks: Regulation

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he expects the total amount paid in fixed based salaries to employees at RBS and Lloyds Banking Group to increase or decrease as a proportion of total remuneration in the financial year 2010-11.

Mark Hoban: The Government's shareholdings in banks are managed on a commercial and arm's length basis by UK Financial Investments Ltd (UKFI). UKFI are required to do this in a way that is consistent with the Treasury's aim not to be a permanent investor in UK financial institutions-the Government are clear that British banks are best owned and managed commercially. UKFI engages with the banks to ensure remuneration policies at Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) reward long-term sustainable performance and not incentivise short-term excessive risk taking.
	RBS and Lloyds will disclose information on their remuneration arrangements in their annual report and accounts, including a Directors' Remuneration Report.

EU Economic Policy

William Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  to which process the statement by the heads of state or government of the euro area and the EU institutions annexed to the conclusions of the European Council of 4 February 2011 refers;
	(2)  with reference to the statement by the heads of state or government of the euro area and the EU institutions annexed to the conclusions of the European Council of 4 February 2011, in respect of what Treaty will the President of the European Council undertake consultations to identify concrete ways forward;
	(3)  with reference to the statement by the heads of state or government of the euro area and the EU institutions annexed to the conclusions of the European Council of 4 February 2011,  (a) by whom,  (b) by which procedure and  (c) under which legal base of which Treaty heads of state or government of the interested non-euro area member states will be involved in the process referred to.

Mark Hoban: A statement by the Heads of State or Government of the Euro area and the EU institutions annexed to the conclusions of the February European Council announced that further steps would be taken to achieve a new quality of economic policy co-ordination. This process will be taken forward through intergovernmental co-operation, which will be facilitated by the President of the European Council.
	As the statement makes clear, the President of the European Council will consult member states and identify concrete ways forward that are in line with the treaties.

Financial Services: Education

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans his Department has to provide support for education on financial services in schools, colleges and universities in each of the next four financial years.

Nick Gibb: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government recognise the importance of young people developing the capability they need to make informed decisions about their personal finances. The current economic well-being and financial capability strand of Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE), at key stages 3 and 4, provides a framework for students to learn about financial decision-making and how to use a range of financial tools and services. We announced, in the recently published Schools White Paper, 'The Importance of Teaching', our intention to conduct an internal review of PSHE education. We want to determine how we can support schools to improve the quality of PSHE teaching, including giving teachers the flexibility to use their judgment about how best to deliver PSHE.
	There is no compulsory curriculum in further education colleges. It is for individual colleges to determine how they respond to local community needs. It is for the sector to determine its improvement needs and ensure that the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) supports them in meeting these needs.
	The LSIS see financial capability, numeracy and maths as key priorities for the sector. We are currently discussing with LSIS their 2011-12 programme.
	Universities provide advice for students on managing personal finances as part of their support services. There is no specific allocation for this from the Department and it is funded through the block grant from the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the tuition fees paid on behalf of the student.
	More widely, we are assisting people to take charge of their finances at all life stages, through the establishment of the Consumer Financial Education Body (CFEB) which works with young people as well as adults.

Financial Services: Regulation

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken at  (a) EU and  (b) G20 level to implement the recommendations of Sir David Walker's report on the governance of banks and other financial institutions since November 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The Government are committed to improving transparency of the remuneration practices in the financial services sector and continue to drive the initiative in the international arena. The Chancellor has written to counterparts in the European Union calling for urgent consideration of Sir David Walker's recommendations.

Public Sector: Pensions

Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what savings he requires as a result of the employee contribution increases announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review from each of the Principal Civil Service pension schemes;
	(2)  what savings he requires as a result of the employee contribution increases announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review from each of the local government pension schemes in Scotland;
	(3)  what savings he requires as a result of the employee contribution increases announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review from each of the local government pension schemes in England and Wales;
	(4)  what savings are required in respect of the Department for International Development's Overseas Superannuation Scheme as a result of the employee contribution increases announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review;
	(5)  what savings are required in respect of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Pension Schemes as a result of the employee contribution increases announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review;
	(6)  what savings are required in respect of the Judicial Pensions Scheme as a result of the employee contribution increases announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review;
	(7)  what savings are required from each of the Research Councils' pension schemes as a result of the employee contribution increases announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review;
	(8)  what savings are required in respect of the Firefighters' Pension Scheme as a result of the employee contribution increases announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review;
	(9)  what savings are required from the NHS Pension Scheme as a result of the employee contribution increases announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review;
	(10)  what savings are required from the Teachers' Pension Scheme in England and Wales as a result of the employee contribution increases announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review;
	(11)  what total savings he expects to make in 2014-15 from increasing employee contributions  (a) in each (i) funded and (ii) unfunded public sector scheme, excluding the armed forces scheme, and  (b) in total;
	(12)  how the total required saving from employee contribution increases announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review is to be apportioned between each public sector pension scheme;
	(13)  what savings are required from each of the police pension schemes as a result of the employee contribution increases announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review;

Danny Alexander: The interim report of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission, chaired by Lord Hutton, former Work and Pensions Secretary, set out that there is a clear rationale for increasing employee contributions to public service pensions. The report found that the value of public service pensions been increasing following dramatic increase in life expectancy at retirement. Current pensioners are expected to spend over 40% of their adult lives in retirement, compared to 30% for pensioners in the 1950s.
	Members of all of the public service pension schemes have benefited from the increase in the value of their pension and most of these extra costs have fallen to employers and taxpayers. Increases in employee contributions will rebalance contributions, and ensure a fairer distribution of costs between members and other taxpayers.
	The share of the total savings to AME of £2.8 billion expected from each scheme has been distributed proportionately to the size of scheme's paybill. The range of savings reflects the opportunity to agree some central parameters for the increase, for example protection of low earners, through a process of engagement with trade unions.
	
		
			  Breakdown of savings by pension scheme 
			   Savings range (£ million) 
			 NHS Pension Scheme 1,262-1,312 
			 Teachers' Pension Scheme (England and Wales) 768-852 
			 Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme 441-491 
			 Police Pension Scheme 155-175 
			 NHS Superannuation Scheme (Scotland) 137-143 
			 Firefighters' Pension Scheme 33-37 
			 Scottish Teachers' Superannuation Scheme 85-94 
			 Judicial Pension Scheme 13-32 
		
	
	The Local Government Pension Scheme (England and Wales) savings envelope is £900 million as agreed at the spending review; this is based on 3.2% of the pensionable paybill within the scheme in 2014-15.
	Other schemes without a specific cash savings envelope include those that operate on a by-analogy basis and some other schemes. These scheme envelopes have been set based on the average increase in other public service schemes (3.2%):
	Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (Northern Ireland)
	Health and Personal Social Services Northern Ireland Superannuation Scheme
	Northern Ireland Teachers' Superannuation Scheme
	Northern Ireland Local Government Pension Scheme
	Police Pension Scheme (Northern Ireland)
	Police Pension Scheme (Scotland)
	Firefighters' Pension Scheme (Scotland)
	Local Government Pension Scheme (Scotland)
	Research Councils' Pension Schemes
	UK Atomic Energy Authority Pension Schemes.
	The Department for International Development Overseas Superannuation Scheme is a closed scheme with no contributing members.

Taxation

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the  (a) number and  (b) potential liability for tax of companies and organisations that will be unable to file their company tax return online from 1 April 2011 for reasons relating to the unavailability of relevant software.

David Gauke: All companies should be able to file their company tax return online from 1 April.
	Over 30 commercial suppliers whose filing software has been successfully tested with HMRC are listed on HMRC's website. One supplier has announced that its fully upgraded software will not be available for 1 April, but has said that it will provide a choice of interim solutions for its customers by 1 April.
	In addition, HMRC offers free online filing software suitable for smaller companies and organisations with less complex financial affairs.
	Where a company has a reasonable excuse for missing its filing deadline it will not be penalised.
	The change to online filing of company tax returns does not alter the way corporation tax is calculated or when it is paid.

Taxation

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received since 31 December 2010 requesting that the 1 April 2011 deadline for companies and organisations to file their company tax returns online be postponed.

David Gauke: No representations have been received for a delay to the requirement to file company tax returns online from 1 April. There have been a variety of representations both for and against deferring, from 1 April, the requirement to send accounts that are part of that company tax return as an iXBRL, file.

Taxation: Business

Brian Binley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to reduce cash flow drag for small and medium-sized businesses.

David Gauke: The Government are committed to helping small and medium-sized businesses manage their cash flow and to transforming the culture of late payment.
	Firstly, we think that it is important that the public sector sets a strong example here; this is why through the prompt payment initiative, central Government Departments are required to aim to pay 80% of undisputed invoices within five days. To ensure the benefits of prompt payment are felt through the supply chain and benefit smaller businesses, all Departments have also included a clause in their contracts that requires main contractors to pay their suppliers within 30 days.
	To encourage the private sector to come on board, we have also developed a prompt payment code with the Institute of Credit Management (ICM). Voluntary private sector take-up of this code has been strong, with Experian calculating that code signatories now represent over 60% of the total UK supply chain value.
	To educate businesses on cash flow management, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has also produced with the ICM a series of 10 checklists on all aspects of cash flow management, which have been endorsed by all the leading representative organisations and which have had nearly 200,000 downloads. The guides can be found at:
	http://www.creditmanagement.org.uk/bisguides.htm
	The Government also recognise that invoice financing, including supply chain finance, can allow greater flexibility in payment terms and can constitute an important source of working capital for businesses. This is why in the "Financing Business Growth" Green Paper, published in October 2010, the Government committed to support and raise awareness of supply chain finance through bringing together potential private sector providers of supply chain finance and encouraging its use by local government.
	The tax system already has inbuilt cash flow advantages for business because of the way payment dates are set out in legislation. In addition, HM Revenue and Customs are also able to provide temporary assistance, through time to pay (TTP) agreements, to viable businesses which are experiencing genuine difficulties in paying their debts.

Taxation: Solar Power

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue accrues to the Exchequer from  (a) taxation upon and  (b) national insurance contributions paid by those in the photovoltaics sector in 2010-11.

David Gauke: The information requested is not available.

Welfare Tax Credits: Married People

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to reduce the couple penalty in the tax credit system.

David Gauke: The Government are committed to reforming the welfare system and ensuring policies are delivered in a fair way. The Government will introduce the universal credit over the next two Parliaments to replace the current system of means-tested working-age benefits, including tax credits, with a simple streamlined payment.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Housing Benefit

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment has been made of the likely effect on household rental arrears and repossessions of the Government's proposal to cut housing benefit by 10% for those in receipt of jobseeker's allowance for over 12 months.

Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply.
	We have decided not to pursue this measure.